According to Climate Savers Computing there are three simple steps you can do to be more eco-friendly with your computer at home and at work.  

1.  Use power management.  They say half of the energy consumed by a desktop computer is wasted as heat.  Power management features are easy to implement and can save nearly half a ton of CO2 in a year.

2. The next time you’re in the market for a new computer, buy one that has the Energy Star seal of approval.  The most energy efficient computers are Apple Laptops, called MacBooks.   Simply by purchasing Energy Star computers and equipment could save more than $1.8 billion in energy costs over the next 5 years.

3. Finally, invest in a “smart power strip.”  These are power strips that will automatically switch the devices on or off depending on how you have them plugged in.  They have an “always on” section.  When electricity is not needed by peripherals not in the “always on” section, then power is cut.  For example, your printer would not draw any power until your computer sent something to be printed, then the smart strip would power up.  Climate Savers Computing says you can save as much as 10% in your energy bill by using a smart strip.

One final tidbit:  there is a font that uses “up to 20% less ink” called Ecofont.  This will save you in ink cartridges and ink toner which means fewer empty cartridges going to a landfill.

This post is part of our Earth Day series.  Other posts in this series are:                           

                           Easiest Ways to Go Green at Work 
                           The Truth About Eco-Friendly Web Design
                           The Truth About Eco-Friendly Web Hosting