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TCO99
Congratulations!
You have just purchased a TCO’99 approved and
labelled product! Your choice has provided you with
a product developed for professional use. Your
purchase has also contributed to reducing the
burden on the environment and also to the further
development of environmentally adapted electronics
products.
Why do we have environmentally labelled
computers?
In many countries, environmental labelling has
become an established method for encouraging the
adaptation of goods and services to the environment.
The main problem, as far as computers and other
electronics equipment are concerned, is that
environmentally harmful substances are used both in
the products and during their manufacture. Since it is
not so far possible to satisfactorily recycle the
majority of electronics equipment, most of these
potentially damaging substances sooner or later
enter nature.
There are also other characteristics of a computer,
such as energy consumption levels, that are
important from the viewpoints of both the work
(internal) and natural (external) environments. Since
all methods of electricity generation have a negative
effect on the environment (e.g. acidic and climate-
influencing emissions, radioactive waste), it is vital to
save energy. Electronics equipment in offices is
often left running continuously and thereby
consumes a lot of energy.
What does labelling involve?
This product meets the requirements for the TCO’99
scheme which provides for international and
environmental labelling of personal computers. The
labelling scheme was developed as a joint effort by
the TCO (The Swedish Confederation of
Professional Employees), Svenska
Naturskyddsforeningen (The Swedish Society for
Nature Conservation) and Statens Energimyndighet
(The Swedish National Energy Administration).
Approval requirements cover a wide range of issues:
environment, ergonomics, usability, emission of
electric and magnetic fields, energy consumption
and electrical and fire safety.
The environmental demands impose restrictions on
the presence and use of heavy metals, brominated
and chlorinated flame retardants, CFCs (freons) and
chlorinated solvents, among other things. The
product must be prepared for recycling and the
manufacturer is obliged to have an environmental
policy which must be adhered to in each country
where the company implements its operational
policy.
The energy requirements include a demand that the
computer and/or display, after a certain period of
inactivity, shall reduce its power consumption to a
lower level in one or more stages. The length of time
to reactivate the computer shall be reasonable for
the user.
Labelled products must meet strict environmental
demands, for example, in respect of the reduction of
electric and magnetic fields, physical and visual
ergonomics and good usability.
Below you will find a brief summary of the
environmental requirements met by this product. The
complete environmental criteria document may be
ordered from:
TCO Development
SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 782 92 07
Email (Internet): development@tco.se
Current information regarding TCO’99 approved and
labelled products may also be obtained via the Internet,
using the address: http://www.tco-info.com/
Environmental requirements
Flame retardants
Flame retardants are present in printed circuit
boards, cables, wires, casings and housings. Their
purpose is to prevent, or at least to delay the spread
of fire. Up to 30% of the plastic in a computer casing
can consist of flame retardant substances. Most
flame retardants contain bromine or chloride, and
those flame retardants are chemically related to
another group of environmental toxins, PCBs. Both
the flame retardants containing bromine or chloride
and the PCBs are suspected of giving rise to severe
health effects, including reproductive damage in
fish-eating birds and mammals, due to the bio-
accumulative* processes. Flame retardants have
been found in human blood and researchers fear
that disturbances in foetus development may occur.
The relevant TCO’99 demand requires that plastic
components weighing more than 25 grams must not
contain flame retardants with organically bound
bromine or chlorine. Flame retardants are allowed in
the printed circuit boards since no substitutes are
available.
Cadmium**
Cadmium is present in rechargeable batteries and in
the colour-generating layers of certain computer
displays. Cadmium damages the nervous system
and is toxic in high doses. The relevant TCO’99
requirement states that batteries, the colour-
generating layers of display screens and the
electrical or electronics components must not contain
any cadmium.
Regulatory Information cont.
