Many of us prefer to investigate the market before an important purchase. We tend to do it in the most practical and timesaving way – grabbing a professional magazine and scrutinising it from the first to the last page. Only then one feels more or less ready to step into store and navigate being exposed to hundreds of options. 

PC Magazine offers to assist in such navigation by awarding a GreenTech approval to items like desktops, laptops, high definition TVs, printers and scanners. This approval introduces a kind of additional grade to distinguish among those electronic products that already bear such labels like EPEAT or Energy Star. Such credentials like compliance with the RoHS requirements (European Directive 2002/95 EC on Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and recyclability are also integrated into the award. Testing requirements e.g. benchmark test performance, make the difference here as well. 

Each manufacture is questioned by the PC Mag on the carbon footprint issue. It won’t appear in the analysis as a figure, but each company is requested to present their waste-reduction and recycling actions.

The beauty of this award is that it takes the above mentioned certification schemes as a basis, and stimulates manufacturers to go beyond the required and excel in becoming even more environmentally benign.