USER GUIDE FOR CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS OF
Contents
1. Europe Along with the RoHS went into force another directive addressing the recycling of electrical and electronic products known by the acronym WEEE Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Because of RoHS manufacturers of electronic equipment must adapt their products to the new directive so they can sell their products in Europe Fonte http pt wikipedia org wiki Rohs For more information please visit www rohs gov uk Spam Spam is an unsolicited electronic message sent in bulk usually for advertising purposes It can also be used to download viruses or malicious programs on the computer of the person who opens the message Source http pt wikipedia org wiki Spam Twitter Twitter is an online community that brings together friends and strangers who send messages of up to 140 characters about what they are doing at the moment or any subject for which they want to draw attention To find additional information please visit www twitter com Information Technology Information Technology IT can be defined as the set of all activities and solutions that enable to record communicate and obtain results from information provided by computing resources For more information please visit http www infowester com col150804 php Itautec believes in the importance of dissemination of information and suggestions contained in this Guide a digital copy of this document The digital version has a Creat2. equipment from the time of purchase to when you decide to discard it We believe that disclosure of these ideas and suggestions will help encourage responsible use of technology and contribute to environment preservation This brings benefits not only for us but also for future generations Itautec a 4 Imagine a world without cell phones personal computers flat screen televisions MP3 MP4 MP10 players A world without digital cameras video games consoles home theater Difficult right All these electronic devices are already part of our lives in such a way that we find it strange to imagine ourselves without them However until about 20 years ago most of them did not exist Those available were so expensive that few could afford them Over time prices fell and the electronics have become more popular Today it is very easy to purchase mobile phones computers etc The benefits of this popularity are obvious more people can communicate have new options for learning have access to more information work better manage their lives more comfortably and Introduction even exert democracy that is more direct What we often do not realize is that The life cycle of an electronic product begins even before it comes to our hands The first step is the product development project created by someone Next the product is made from resources extracted from nature distributed to retail
3. outlets where it will be marketed and thereafter reach consumers who will use it perhaps for many years After that when the equipment is no longer useful to the consumer it is discarded However the cycle does not end to the trash is our first response Others may think that it can be recycled and used in other products minimizing the consumption of natural resources Only then the life cycle of the equipment will have reached the end It is important to know that each of us as a consumer has a very important role in the life cycle of products and services that we use It is exactly to help you make conscious decisions when purchasing using and disposing of electronics that Itautec has developed this User Guide for Conscious Consumers of Electronic Products We have the support of Origami a management consulting firm specializing in sustainability and partnership with Akatu Institute 6 for Conscious Consumption which is renowned for its work on consumer awareness This Guide includes the stages of purchase use and conscious disposal post use of electronic products It has a list of simple actions that each of us can adopt in our daily lives to promote conscious consumption It also has some suggestions of sites where you can find additional information and a glossary of some terms used in this publication In 1987 the United Nations UN released a document that
4. report cybercrime http www safernet org br Itautec commitment ted tothe environment Itautec has a reverse logistics program that is the commitment to receive equipment and packaging material that are unserviceable or at end of their useful life with the goal of sending them out for recycling or recycling at the company according to the environmental standards established by the responsible agencies Contact us for information on the Itautec collection point nearest you m Tel Greater Sao Paulo 11 3543 5543 and other locations in Brazil 0800 55 0020 m Website www itautec com br m Email sustentabilidade itautec com This program has existed since 2003 and now is compliant to the Federal Law 12305 10 National Policy on Solid Waste CX3 ATM Designed by Itautec in 2007 initially for the European market it was the first banking automation equipment designed and produced in accordance to all the attributes defined by the European RoHS directive That is free of hazardous substances such as cadmium mercury hexavalent chromium and bromobiphenyl This project was used as a pilot for changing Itautec s manufacturing processes and had two public recognitions for pioneering the fields of technology and environment Source Itautec Bromobifenilas Used as flame retardant in plastic parts of some electronic equipment bromobiphenyl also known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers PBDEs aims to prevent
5. to the one issued by a gasoline powered car traveling 20 km Furthermore it results in a savings of about R 30 Source Average energy consumption of equipment Choice Institute Methodology of conversion the GHG Protocol Aneel rates scenery and the calculations Itautec in house staff available Usually equipment come with this option which in general can be activated by the operating system installed If you do not know how read the equipment manual ask the salesperson to explain how to do it or find information on the manufacturer s website The same goes for the monitor E A regular PC with a traditional CRT monitor the one that looks like a small television consumes an average of 125 55 kW h which proportionally consumes high energy per month This corresponds to an emission of approximately 4 6 kilograms of CO equivalent COze within a month Therefore within a year this same PC emits 55 2 kg of COve If this number were multiplied by about 70 million computers used in the Brazilian market we would conclude that Brazil emits approximately 3 8 million tons of CO2 year with the use of computers only CO carbon dioxide is one of the gases responsible for the increase in average temperature of earth Source Consumption according to Choice Institute COze calculation following the GHG Protocol Scenery and conversion to CO the element e of equivalent is included to a
6. when not in use How many times have we E A 17 inch LCD monitor when active soends about 30 watts per hour on average When hibernating consumption may fall to just 1 watt per hour Source Sustainable Planet http planetasustentavel abril com br noticia energia conteudo_260848 shtml left equipment on for days in a row without actually using them for all this time Equipment units are designed to be connected and 3 An interesting publication on the different ways of treating waste including recycling at home can be obtained from http diariodoprofessor com wp content uploads 2008 09 cartilha pdf disconnected several times so do not worry about doing this Preferably switch off all equipment and peripherals modems printers etc directly into the outlet or power strip to avoid unnecessary consumption of energy by the system on standby even when the button is off PD Adjust your equipment to make a rational and economical use of energy when this option is E Whenever having a break longer than half an hour it is worth turning off the computer A good example is at lunchtime A computer on for one hour day consumes 8 3 kWh per month on average Over a year the savings from shutting down the computer during this one hour lunch break will be 99 3 kW h which makes everyone that turned off their computer stop throwing in the atmosphere 3 64 kilograms of CO equivalent This volume corresponds
7. A would change permanently the way people businesses and governments viewed the issue of development and environment in the world It was the report entitled Our Common Future which drew attention for the first time to the risks of keeping the development model adopted by rich countries and copied by poorer nations The warning was simple if we continue in this model natural resources will begin to dwindle compromising the future generations who come after us But what is sustainability really The report introduced the concept of sustainable development according to which We must extract the natural resources and generate economic and social wealth thinking in not only the here and now in our immediate needs but in the tomorrow in the future generations But the truth is that we can see that the intense actions of humanity on the planet are producing effects that we are already feeling now We no longer speak only of the impacts of climate change that would affect the future generations for example but of those that have already dramatically affected our lives today 1 More information about the report Our Common Future may be obtained at http pt wikipedia org wiki Relat C3 B3rio_ Brundtland ao In this context the idea of sustainability is even more relevant after all it is now seeking a balance of human action on the economy on society and on the environment And th
8. Itautec and sustainability USER GUIDE FOR i CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS OF ELECTRONIG PRODUCTS on gt N k i ORLE Te Looking to the future Table of Contents Who we are Introduction But what is sustainability really Sustainability at Itautec Inside the life cycle of an equipment Conscious purchase Conscious use Conscious post use Itautec commitment to the environment Glossary 10 12 16 22 26 27 Who we are We are the technology company of the Ita sa Group 100 Brazilian For over 30 years we have been developing products and solutions for data processing banking and retail automation and providing technology services We serve more than 3 700 Brazilian cities from our 34 service units and ten technical support labs We work with leading industry forums advocating the development of the technology sector and valuing research and development genuinely Brazilian Our commitment to sustainability integrates in our products social environmental and economic benefits to society Among other measures we make rational use of natural resources and we are pioneers in manufacturing equipment free of hazardous substances and in waste recycling of IT equipment in Brazil Because of our experience and believing in the importance of sustainability we decided to make our contribution so that you the consumer know how to make best use of your electronic
9. a consumer to act at this moment gt First the classic question Do really need to get rid of the equipment Wouldn t it be possible to invest a little to upgrade it in order to continue using it longer ep If you are certain that you will dispose of the equipment you must ask if it could be useful to someone else or if it could be donated to an institution when in working condition This consideration should take into account the technical conditions of the equipment i e if it is working well and does not need any investment to work for longer That is because sometimes with good intentions we can pass along a piece of equipment that will soon present problems and will lose its usefulness to the person or institution that receives it As we no longer have control over what will be done with the equipment it might end up in a dump somewhere just what we wanted to avoid from the beginning f 23 3 If you decide that the best option is to recycle the old equipment directly some possibilities are open The first is to contact the manufacturer of your equipment to see how you can send it for recycling In the case of Itautec there is a Recycling Center in Jundiai Itautec equipment can be dropped off in any of its 34 branches Just contact the company by sending an email to SUStentabilidade itautec com to arrange the details of drop off Some equipment manufacturers are committed to doing the same so it is impor
10. electronic novelty and decide to dispose of your equipment ask yourself if you cannot fix it or upgrade it The latest E The average computer uses at least ten times its weight in fossil fuels thus contributing to energy expenditure and to global warming It also spends 1 500 liters of water in its manufacturing process Proportionally this ratio exceeds the ratio for cars for example which use no more than twice its weight in raw materials and inputs A single RAM chip consumes 1 7 kilograms of fossil fuels and chemicals to be manufactured which is about 400 times its weight computer equipment may have a lifespan of between five and eight years with only a memory upgrade after installing new programs Think that a desktop computer for example weighs up to 25 pounds and to be manufactured can use up to 60 components based on metals plastics Source Redemption Project au 20 and other substances All this will be lost as well as all the energy and raw materials used at the time that the computer is no longer being used Several of these elements are highly contaminant to the environment and require a huge effort to be extracted from the earth and processed Thus the most logical is to use the equipment for as long as possible Fonte Recycling From E Waste to Resources Report UNEP 2010 E Be careful with the use of the Internet by your children or other children with whom you live And
11. enhouse gases from the electricity generation Computers and monitors were the first labeled products In 1995 the program was expanded to include labeling of office equipment products and residential heating and cooling equipment The versions already released are increasing demands for performance and efficiency of the gt products that fall within the scope of the Energy Star program with regard to efficient use of energy Source http pt wikipedia org wiki Energy_Star For more information please visit http www energystar gov EPEAT It is the acronym for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool a system that serves as a reference for buyers to evaluate compare and select electronic products personal computers video monitors and notebooks according to 51 ee environmental attributes 23 required and 28 optional EPEAT was created by the U S Environmental Protection Agency EPA and by the non governmental Greener Electronics Council and establishes three categories of criteria compliance Bronze Silver and Gold For the Bronze rating all 23 required criteria must be met and for the Gold rating it is requi red to meet all 23 required items plus at least 75 of the 28 optional attributes The attributes are divided into eight categories that address the reduction elimination of hazardous materials materials selection design and end of life management product longevity and life cycle extension energy conservatio
12. erson more susceptible to other diseases Source http pt wikipedia org For more information please visit www rohs gov uk 28 Lead The wider use of lead is in the manufacture of batteries Other important applications AD are in the manufacture of liners for wire building construction components pigments IE T soft solders and ammunition The manufacture of lead has been declining due to i ay environmental regulations becoming more stringent in the world J The poisoning caused by exposure to lead can affect humans in several ways E in the nervous system may cause headache muscle twitching hallucinations loss of memory and decreased attention span These symptoms may progress to delirium convulsions paralysis and coma E inthe renal system it causes a slow and progressive renal failure which may become a chronic nephritis E in the gastrointestinal system it causes severe poisoning and may cause constipation diarrhea and gastritis E inthe bones lead may contribute to the development of osteoporosis in women Children are more vulnerable than adults are to the effects of lead toxic action Some studies have shown that lead is associated with neurobehavioral defects in children For more information please visit http goo gl 5Ci77 e http pt wikipedia org wiki Chumbo Life cycle In the context of this Guide it is the sequence of all stages of an electronic product from extraction of raw materials from na
13. if you know of any criminal action on the Internet against your children or any other children do not think twice report it One tip is to visit the Safernet site a NGO dedicated to promoting the safe use of the Internet www safernet org br or access www wcforg br to read Navigating Safely featuring valuable tips to avoid online abuse and pornography CHECK HERE A SUMMARY OF ACTIONS AND QUESTIONS TO BE MADE EVERY TIME YOU ARE ABOUT TO USE YOUR COMPUTER EQUIPMENT Have you already set up your equipment to use only the power required Does the equipment stay on for more than 30 minutes without use If so turn it off Are you going to print something Is it really necessary Do you already have a specific place to store your printed material Have you already included on the bottom of your email a text reminding the recipient not to print it unless really necessary Before disposing of equipment consider the possibility of extending its time of use even if you need to upgrade ELK SSK SS Have you installed an antivirus Post use is a good term to define the moment you decide to dispose of your equipment This is a pivotal moment in the product life cycle since your decision on what to do with your equipment has a direct impact especially on the environment and on the economy After all 100 of the components of a computer for example are recyclable There are several possibilities for you as
14. ions of Itautec for sustainability please visit http www itautec com br sustentabilidade or send an email to sustentabilidade itautec com Inside the life cycle of an equipment Understanding the life cycle of an electronics product can help you make a better choice in the purchase of equipment the extension of its use and disposal at the end of its useful life and thus act in a way that is good for your pocket and for the environment In the example on the next page we show the life cycle of a notebook and present a summary of some of the impacts that each stage of this cycle may have on nature Note that in every stage each one of us can make an effective contribution to f the sustainability of the planet 1 A notebook is designed and developed to meet the market demands using technology innovations appropriate for the intended audience 6 1 when working properly give the notebook a new destination reselling or donating to another user or a NGO for example 2 Natural resources 4 are extracted and processed to be used as inputs to manufacture the notebook 3 The equipment is assembled in a manufacturing plant notebooks it is send to retailers 4 supermarket chain for example that sell LI FE CYCLE directly to consumers Or the notebook is O F A purchased directly from the manufacturer bya NOTEBOOK large company to be use by its emplo
15. ired just to pass the trillion spam messages sent worldwide each year is equivalent to that needed to maintain two million U S homes while producing the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions of three million cars Source G1 Portal http migre me gSBL and Carbon Footprint of Spam report from McAfee that can be obtained at http migre me AyR7 E Example of message that can be included at the bottom of your emails THINK AHEAD PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT only print this email if you really need it is necessary to print keep an appropriate location to save the printed material so that there is no need to reprint it at other times in case that you need to use it again Add to the bottom of your email a short text alerting the recipient to print the message only if strictly necessary Try using also the back of the paper to print new material and recycle other printed materials that are no longer useful WD Facilitate the lives of people who have some visual hearing or motor disability The equipment come prepared with features that let you magnify part of the screen for easier viewing There are also technologies to convert text into speech so that the content on the screen is read aloud and others that offer the possibility for users with limited mobility to type on the screen using a special device 7 Is it malfunctioning Does it seem obsolete Before becoming enchanted by the most recent
16. is is a common challenge for all of us individuals businesses governments and organizations In the following pages we will see how we can act as conscious consumers in the purchase use and disposal of electronic products computers printers phones refrigerators TVs etc In Brazil about 60 of the trash includes some kind of electronic waste Much of this material ends up in landfills without any proper treatment By the action of rain the hazardous components that are part of electronic products eventually reach the groundwater and consequently about 20 million Brazilian households that lack safe water system Water contaminated by these substances can cause many diseases that could be avoided if the electronics were recycled At Itautec sustainability has long left the realm of good ideas to be incorporated into our manufacturing practices Since 2001 we have an Environmental Management System EMS that includes our policies programs and corporate practices dedicated to socio environmental responsibility This means the rational use of material energy and water resources n addition to the separation of waste promoting recycling among other actions But we went further in our efforts and became the first company in Brazil in the field of Information Technology to manufacture lead free equipment Since 2007 we manufacture PCs and notebooks free of substances harmful to the environment and h
17. ive Commons distribution license This means you may and should share this text with anyone you wish provided it is not used for commercial purposes the source is cited or a link is included to in completely or in part and its reproduction is prohibited MADE BY m ITAUTEC EDITORIAL COORDINATION m Gest o Origami COLLABORATION Akatu Institute for Conscious Consumption EDITING m Renato Guimaraes Aerton Paiva WRITING Renato Guimaraes GRAPHIC DESIGN m Arco W Comunica o amp Design Copyright m Itautec 2011 This publication was developed with the key support of Origami Gestao www gestaoorigami com br a O management consulting company with professionals highly wd Ita uU tec experienced in the field of sustainability AF gest o LP origami 7 i i i n f y ia OBE ict Looking to the future INSTITUTO akatu Peji cide ARF ere LT ETE er L N oe L Z e QO LLI m A N
18. lign with the principles of the GHG Protocol calculations Itautec in house staff Note In the process of energy turn it off completely if not using the computer for an extended period or adjust the power settings for the device to enter sleep mode when not being used for longer than 30 minutes Avoid spam and do not send junk or unsolicited email Do not participate in chain emails nor pass on emails with attachments especially if they are heavy Besides the possibility of a virus these emails overwhelm the Internet system in general and make the recipient spend more time and energy by opening messages that are not relevant 4 When replying to a message that was sent to you and other recipients see whether your answer concerns all copied persons or only the one who sent the original message If it only interests the sender avoid replying to all In doing so you avoid overloading the system and the inboxes of people with unnecessary messages B Do not print photos or documents unnecessarily Before printing think about whether it is really necessary or whether it is possible to read directly on the screen If E A survey revealed that in 2009 Brazil overtook the United States in sending spam According to data released no less than 7 7 trillion spam messages were sent from Brazil while the Americans sent 6 6 trillion Yet the company that produces McAfee antivirus estimated that the energy requ
19. n corporate environmental performance and packaging Source IEEE std 1680 http www epeat net Greenhouse gases The greenhouse gases GHG are gaseous substances that absorb some infrared radiation emitted mainly by the earth s surface and impede this radiation to escape into space This prevents loss of heat in excess keeping the earth warm The disproportionate increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere however may have a negative effect on the environment by causing an increase in average global temperature and thereby causing climate imbalance The major greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide CO2 methane CH4 and nitrous oxide N20 Source Wikipedia http pt wikipedia org wiki Gases_do_efeito_estufa 30 GHG Protocol It is a set of measuring tools most widely used by business and governments to identify and manage greenhouse gas emissions For more information please visit http www ghgprotocolbrasil com br RoHS RoHS Restriction of Certain Hazardous Substances is a European directive restricting the use of certain hazardous substances in the manufacturing processes of products Among these substances are cadmium Cd mercury Hg hexavalent chromium Cr VI polybrominated biphenyls PBBs polybrominated diphenyl ethers PBDEs and lead Pb This directive came into force on 1 July 2006 and from that date on products with these chemicals could no longer be sold in
20. of companies in manufacturing equipment as friendly as possible to the environment and society These recognitions such as Energy Star and EPEAT register equipment that meet certain requirements for example efficient use of electricity or criteria based on environmental attributes of products and business practices The most important thing is that these labels along with other elements such as research on websites or chatting with other buyers help the consumer to decide on the purchase in question Nowadays it is increasingly easy to find information that helps the consumer make a final purchasing decision Let s say you want to buy for example a notebook You certainly will seek products that have certain technical specifications and meet your criteria With that let s say you find three or four options This is the moment when you as a conscious consumer should seek additional information on sustainability issues at the time of production use and disposal of each product i e its impact on the environment society and the economy itself This is less complicated than it seems See below what you can do when you are deciding which product to buy ie Contact the manufacturers to see if they use toxic components in the manufacture of products if they recycle equipment at the end of their useful life and how recycling is done See also what are the seals and certifications obtained for the equipment and the c
21. ompany SD Visit websites that do reviews of equipment much of its performance when used as in the aspect of sustainability For example the site of the Center for the Study of Sustainability at Funda o Getulio Vargas has a list of products and services that best meet sustainability criteria 2 Before buying your equipment make sure that sustainability initiatives carried out by the manufacturer are listed and explained in the product manual or in its promotional publications This catalog of products and services that meet sustainability criteria can be accessed at http www fgv br ces cs Another option is the site Good Guide which uses a network of experts and scientists to evaluate and compare various products from the standpoint of sustainability Several of these products are found in Brazil Please visit http www goodguide com ND When talking with the seller or manufacturer s representative also ask about the sustainability activities of the company especially those directly applicable to the product you are looking to buy B For example find out more about energy consumption and how can you adjust the equipment to make it more energy efficient Ask what certifications and seals the device has and try to find information on the practical meaning of each one SD Find out what you should do with your equipment when you stop using it Does the manufacturer accept it back to recycle If yes ho
22. rld Each of us must do our part to reduce the scope of this impact Source Greenpeace http goo gl uwCL Disposal for recycling is environmentally sound and economically viable Over the past three years Itautec properly allocated some 1 700 tons of electronic waste equivalent weight of more than 200 thousand pieces of equipment with 97 of these materials being processed through approved recycling companies in Brazil The remaining 3 are equivalent to the printed circuit boards which are recycled by approved companies in Singapore and Belgium E tautec sustainability page http www itautec com br sustentabilidade E Read articles and analysis on sustainability in people s daily lives and in companies activities in the Origami blogs http gestaoorigami com br artigos E Akatu Institute for Conscious Consumption http akatu org br E Redemption Project Developed by teachers and students of Technical Computing at the Redendorista Technical School ETER in Campina Grande Paraiba aiming at educating the public on use of technologies http redencaoeter blogspot com E Page of Greenpeace International on electronic scrap e waste http www greenpeace org international campaigns toxics E Center for Disposal and Reuse of Electronic Waste CEDIR at USP http www cce usp br q node 266 E Safernet NGO dedicated to promoting the safe use of Internet by children and young people It has a space to
23. so can meet projected needs for the future in order to have a long useful life Search the Internet talk to salespersons or with other consumers and compare the seals and certifications of each equipment unit gt As Discover how each of the products you have in mind consumes energy Be sure to choose a product from a manufacturer that is responsible for recycling when you no longer use the equipment Conscious use i F T F OOO Okay you bought your equipment and can now take the time to remove it from the package install it and start using it If there is no problem no fault you can go back to your routine with new equipment that will be running for many years whenever necessary for example If in your building house neighborhood or city a selective waste collection has not yet been implemented you will have a good chance to start a movement Ask the City to do it either by identifying a waste collector s cooperative to cover your region or by contacting the manufacturer to know its own recycling programs for packaging material Itautec s Recycling Center also receives packaging materials and forwards them to approved recyclers Sometimes the routine makes us forget that as consumers we can adopt a series of small actions that help make sustainable also how we use our equipment Check out the following tips on how to consciously use your computer D Use when needed and turn it off
24. tant to contact them for information on how to proceed v The biggest problem is for those who earlier decided to buy equipment from companies that do not guarantee a proper post use process or that use components of dubious origin without any warranty of compliance to Brazilian rules for environmental protection or from manufacturers that vanished without leaving any support to consumers of their products It is the typical situation where the cheap comes out expensive In this case try to find information from the Department of Environment in your city or state to know how to give an appropriate destination for your equipment wa In any case considering throwing your equipment in the trash It will certainly end up in a dump which occurs with 60 of waste in Brazil Corrosion of parts by time and rain will release hazardous components that contaminate the environment If these components come to reach the groundwater they will eventually contaminate our rivers and could even affect our food and our health Consider also the thousands of people who work every day sifting through the dumps in search of articles for personal use or resale They should not be placed on that situation of risk in contact with various toxic elements in the electronic equipment components Just think that the amount of electronic waste produced annually worldwide would fill all the cars of a freight train so large that it would go around the wo
25. the spread of flames in objects with fire risk It is prohibited by the European RoHS directive Equipment manufactured with PBDEs that are disposed of in the environment without adequate treatment may be harmful to our health since over time the substance creates a dust that accumulates in the air When you breathe this dust you may be affected in the liver kidneys and even the brain where it may cause changes in a person s behavior Once inside the body the dust inhaled by the respiratory tract accumulates in adipose tissue body fat It is stored in the body for a long time making babies during breastfeeding at risk if the nursing mother has inhaled the dust For more information http hypescience com conheca as substancias nocivas mais proximas de voce and www rohs gov uk Cadmium Cadmium has many industrial applications but is often used for manufacturing pigments batteries and plastics It is an element found naturally in the earth s crust and most of what is used for industrial purposes is obtained as a product of melting of rocks containing zinc copper or lead Like mercury cadmium is a heavy metal that produces toxic effects on living organisms even in very small concentrations Some toxic effects caused by cadmium contamination on humans are emphysema hypertension kidney disease fibrosis and pulmonary edema anemia decreased male sex hormone testosterone and decreased production of antibodies which makes a p
26. ture through the actual manufacturing distribution to point of sales customer use and final disposal after it became useless For more information please visit http planetasustentavel abril com br noticia lixo conteudo_391819 shtml Hexavalent chromium It is used in many industrial applications such as stainless steel production textile dyes wood preservatives leather tanning and anticorrosive In coatings it is used as a corrosion inhibitor Due to its high toxicity it has been replaced by alternatives such as trivalent chromium allowed by the European RoHS directive Chromium compounds have cutaneous nasal bronchopulmonary renal gastrointestinal and carcinogenic effects The effects on skin are characterized by irritation at the back of hands and fingers which may turn into ulcers The nasal lesions begin with an inflammatory irritation suppuration and crust formation At the bronchopulmonary and gastrointestinal levels it creates bronchial irritation respiratory function changes and gastro duodenal ulcers Source http pt wikipedia org wiki Cromo_hexavalente e http www mundodoquimico hpg ig com br metais_pesados_e_seus_efeitos htm Energy Star Energy Star is a joint program of the U S Environmental Protection Agency EPA and the U S Department of Energy DOE In 1992 EPA introduced a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy efficient products to reduce emissions of gre
27. uman health such as cadmium hexavalent chromium an anti corrosive to protect metal parts and bromobiphenyl flame retardant These materials were replaced according to the recommendations of the European RoHS directive a world reference in restricting the use of substances that harm the environment and human health In late 2008 other Itautec product lines also began to be manufactured in accordance with RoHS with strict environmental controls This required an Sustainability at Itautec investment of about R 3 million allocated over two years for the adequacy of assembly lines The adoption of new processes has been extended to the company s supply chain making many vendors adjust their inputs according to the European environmental policy The company also pioneered the development of what is today one of the most advanced projects in electronic waste disposal in place in Brazil It is the Recycling Center located in Jundia in S o Paulo where equipment is recycled at the end of its useful life In this space the equipment is received disassembled uncharacterized weighed and then have its parts separated by material type which are sent to recyclers approved by Itautec All our efforts in favor of sustainability have received various types of recognition such as the 5 and 6 Brazilian Environmental Benchmarking awards and the 13 edition of FIESP Environmental Merit Award E To learn more about the act
28. w is it done If the company is serious in its efforts to sell a sustainable product it must have representatives that can answer questions like these If the seller does not have an answer he or she will most likely take this difficulty to the manufacturer This will generate a positive pressure so that these professionals are properly informed As a consumer you are thus doing your part to encourage new behaviors When we research and compare products considering price quality and sustainability we will have a better chance of buying a product or equipment that has these elements well balanced With that we send a strong message to the industry those who do not really strive to include sustainability in their processes of manufacture distribution sale and disposal post use i e the complete life cycle of their products or services will become increasingly outdated Remember a conscious consumer is always looking to make a purchase that in addition to meeting his or her needs and desires leaves a positive mark on the planet and society Vv v lt SEE HERE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU SHOULD DO BEFORE DECIDING TO PURCHASE AN EQUIPMENT Make sure you have real need to buy that product or equipment at that time See if you can extend a little more the use of your existing equipment making for example an upgrade in the case of a computer Purchase a device that not only meets your current needs but al
29. yees With several other l T i g 6 4 comes the time to dispose of the equipment 5 The consumer purchases the At this moment the consumer notebook anid takesithome has two main options to use for several years 6 2 send it for recycling thus making it part of the life cycle of other equipment since its components will be recycled and reused As a result the need for extracting limited natural resources to manufacture new equipment is reduced D gt Conscious purchase When we decide to buy new electronic equipment we look for an option that is good visually appealing and affordable that is that has a guaranteed quality and attractive design all for a reasonable price But we know that nature s resources are limited and increasingly scarce This is forcing us to consider one more attribute at the time of purchase sustainability We have been increasingly valuing products and equipment that in addition to the attributes we look for do the least possible harm to the environment when they are manufactured consumed and disposed of To manufacture products with these characteristics companies must invest in production distribution sale and disposal processes that take into consideration the environmental social and economic consequences related to the product The so called certifications or seals usually given by independent entities are ways of giving visibility to specific efforts
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