(originally published on BusinessGreen.com - see link for full article below)
The electricity used by PCs in our home and offices is expected to grow almost 50% in 10 years in Europe alone. In addition, the life of a computer is becoming increasingly short and many feel not enough is being done to reduce the use of precious materials and potentially toxic chemicals contained in these products. Environmental campaigners are now pinning their hopes on a relatively unknown but potentially far-reaching piece of EU legislation, the Ecodesign Directive.
Manufacturers are now producing computers that are more electricity-hungry than ever, partly because of the increasingly sophisticated functions and graphics included in new computers. High performance computers especially made for gaming are fast becoming some of the most energy-guzzling appliances in homes. A recent survey of 300 households in France showed that within the last four years, the average electricity consumption of desktops had increased by more than 70%.
Read the rest of our article on BusinessGreen.