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Congratulations!
You have just purchased a TCO’99 approved and labelled
product! Your choice has provided you with a product
developed for professional use. Your purchase has also
contributed to reducing the burden on the environment and
also to the further development of environmentally adapted
electronics products.
Why do we have environmentally labelled computers?
In many countries, environmental labelling has become an
established method for encouraging the adaptation of
goods and services to the environment. The main problem,
as far as computers and other electronics equipment are
concerned, is that environmentally harmful substances are
used both in the products and during their manufacture.
Since it is not so far possible to satisfactorily recycle the
majority of electronics equipment, most of these potentially
damaging substances sooner or later enter nature.
There are also other characteristics of a computer, such as
energy consumption levels, that are important from the
viewpoints of both the work (internal) and natural (external)
environments. Since all methods of electricity generation
have a negative effect on the environment (e.g. acidic and
climate-influencing emissions, radioactive waste), it is vital
to save energy. Electronics equipment in offices is often left
running continuously and thereby consumes a lot of energy.
What does labelling involve?
This product meets the requirements for the TCO’99 scheme
which provides for international and environmental labelling
of personal computers. The labelling scheme was developed
as a joint effort by the TCO (The Swedish Confederation of
Professional Employees), Svenska Naturskyddsforeningen
(The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation) and Statens
Energimyndighet (The Swedish National Energy
Administration).
Approval requirements cover a wide range of issues:
environment, ergonomics, usability, emission of electric
and magnetic fields, energy consumption and electrical
and fire safety.
The environmental demands impose restrictions on the
presence and use of heavy metals, brominated and
chlorinated flame retardants, CFCs (freons) and chlorinated
solvents, among other things. The product must be prepared
for recycling and the manufacturer is obliged to have an
environmental policy which must be adhered to in each
country where the company implements its operational
policy.
The energy requirements include a demand that the
computer and/or display, after a certain period of inactivity,
shall reduce its power consumption to a lower level in one
or more stages. The length of time to reactivate the computer
shall be reasonable for the user.
Labelled products must meet strict environmental demands,
for example, in respect of the reduction of electric and
magnetic fields, physical and visual ergonomics and good
usability.
Below you will find a brief summary of the environmental
requirements met by this product. The complete
environmental criteria document may be ordered from:
TCO Development
SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 782 92 07
Email (Internet): development@tco.se
Current information regarding TCO’99 approved and
labelled products may also be
obtained via the Internet, using the address:
http://www.tco-info.com/
Environmental requirements
Flame retardants
Flame retardants are present in printed circuit boards,
cables, wires, casings and housings. Their purpose is to
prevent, or at least to delay the spread of fire. Up to 30% of
the plastic in a computer casing can consist of flame
retardant substances. Most flame retardants contain
bromine or chloride, and those flame retardants are
chemically related to another group of environmental toxins,
PCBs. Both the flame retardants containing bromine or
chloride and the PCBs are suspected of giving rise to
severe health effects, including reproductive damage in
fish-eating birds and mammals, due to the bio-accumulative
*
processes. Flame retardants have been found in human
blood and researchers fear that disturbances in foetus
development may occur.
The relevant TCO’99 demand requires that plastic
components weighing more than 25 grams must not contain
flame retardants with organically bound bromine or chlorine.
Flame retardants are allowed in the printed circuit boards
since no substitutes are available.
Cadmium
**
Cadmium is present in rechargeable batteries and in the
colour-generating layers of certain computer displays.
Cadmium damages the nervous system and is toxic in high
doses. The relevant TCO’99 requirement states that
batteries, the colour-generating layers of display screens
and the electrical or electronics components must not
contain any cadmium.
Mercury
**
Mercury is sometimes found in batteries, relays and
switches. It damages the nervous system and is toxic in
high doses. The relevant TCO’99 requirement states that
batteries may not contain any mercury. It also demands
that mercury is not present in any of the electrical or
electronics components associated with the labelled unit.
CFCs (freons)
The relevant TCO’99 requirement states that neither CFCs
nor HCFCs may be used during the manufacture and
assembly of the product. CFCs (freons) are sometimes
used for washing printed circuit boards. CFCs break down
ozone and thereby damage the ozone layer in the
stratosphere, causing increased reception on earth of
ultraviolet light with e.g. increased risks of skin cancer
(malignant melanoma) as a consequence.
Lead
**
Lead can be found in picture tubes, display screens,
solders and capacitors. Lead damages the nervous system
and in higher doses, causes lead poisoning. The relevant
TCO´99 requirement permits the inclusion of lead since no
replacement has yet been developed.
*
Bio-accumulative is defined as substances which
accumulate within living organisms
**
Lead, Cadmium and Mercury are heavy metals which
are Bio-accumulative.