An undetermined amount of used electronics is shipped from the United States and other developed countries to developing countries that lack the capacity to reject imports or to handle these materials appropriately. Without proper standards and enforcement, improper practices may result in public health and environmental concerns, even in countries where processing facilities exist.
epa.govHere at Green Design Label (GDL), we believe a proactive approach is best. By being smart about what devices are purchased and how they are made, we can limit the amount of toxicity put into the environment and facilitate the recycling process. We have developed a rating system that helps compare the impact different devices have on e-waste. While at the moment, our rating system only considers laptop devices, we hope to expand to other devices in the future.
Our GDL rating relies on public data points as predictors for E-waste friendly. We have identified the six largest PC manufacturers and looked at the manufacturer-specific and laptop-specific predictors. Laptops that contain less toxic materials and more recyclable materials are given a higher rating. For a more detail explanation, please reference this document.
You can help by purchasing laptops that are better for the environment. We understand that it can be difficult to compare laptops and their environmental impact, the good news is that we've made a tool to help you out. If you have a laptop in mind but want to see how it compares with others, click here. However, if you don't know where to start, check out our top 10 list.