Green IT Fast Facts: Did you know?

• Paper accounts for more than 40 percent of a typical landfill's contents, according to the EPA's web site. So next time, think before you print! (US Environmental Protection Agency)

• The NRDC reports that Americans threw away more than 100 million cell phones in 2006. Recycling them could have saved enough energy to power approximately 194,000 U.S. households for one year. (Natural Resources Defense Council)

• Seasonal tidbit: If all decorative light strings sold in America this year were ENERGY STAR qualified, we would save over 2 billion kWh per year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to nearly 300,000 cars! Many of these lights which feature LED technology — consume 75% less energy than conventional incandescent lights strands. (US Environmental Protection Agency)

• Screen savers were designed to keep screens from “burning in” and are actually power wasters. When your screen saver kicks in power is consumed by your hard drive, CPU and monitor. For the lowest power consumption, set your screen saver option to “blank.”

• Use a laptop. A typical laptop computer has a maximum power consumption of 15 watts (W) and extensive power management capabilities. A typical desktop PC with display consumes about 10 times that, or 150 W, and has limited power management features. The potential energy savings from substituting PCs with portable laptops are large—up to 90% or more. (BC Hydro)

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an easy to use tool that can help you reduce your carbon footprint at work and help your building become an “Energy Star”. 

• Instead of using a fax machine, scan a document so it can be e-mailed. Organizations can set up a fax server instead of a traditional fax machine so all incoming faxes are digitized automatically.  This saves paper, but can also reduce power consumption if the fax server runs on an existing server used for multiple purposes.

• Products using power management features generate up to 25% less heat and tend to be quieter than conventional products. (BC Hydro)