Dell is planning on going carbon neutral in 2008 - a full year earlier then previous plans.
The company plans to achieve carbon neutrality by replacing incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs, buying carbon offsets, conserving electricity by turning computers off at night, and requiring parts suppliers to list their environmental policies.
In the short term, Dell plans to buy carbon offsets from other companies. Many argue that buying carbon offsets is not a valid method for going green because the purchasing company is not actually changing methods to reduce carbon emissions. Instead, the company is just buying carbon credits from companies that
are using methods to reduce carbon emissions.
Dell currently ties Lenovo for third place in environmental rankings
according to Greenpeace International.
Greenpeace ranks the top fourteen companies manufacturers of mobile phones and PCs in the policies for toxic chemicals and recycling. Nokia has maintained the number one spot in all but one version of the tables. Sony Ericsson currently ranks third.
Dell is also expanding it's 'Plant a Tree for Me' program, which gives Dell laptop customers the option to have $2 of the sale used to plant a tree somewhere in the world. Desktop buyers can donate up to $8. This is a method that many companies are using to help reduce their carbon footprint.
Currently 'Going Green' is a major trend in the electronics world and many companies are either producing more eco-friendly products or revamping production lines to help reduce electricity use. Unfortunately, going green is prohibitively expensive for companies but, as more people become environmentally aware, they will hopefully choose to buy their products from more eco-friendly companies.
For many companies the move to greener production methods could also save them money in the future, hopefully bringing costs down as well.
So, do you prefer green companies or do you just go for the best deal? Leave your thoughts
over in the forums.
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