Research and Technological Advancements

Many electronics companies are making use of research and technological advancements in order to assist in the production of products that are more energy efficient, sustainable and less wasteful both in disposal and production. The use of OLED or organic light emitting diodes has found places in car stereos, mobile phones, and even televisions. They have helped in providing extensive strides in energy conservation because these products when using OLED’s do not require the use of an additional backlight. The savings can be seen especially in televisions, which make use of this technology.

You may have also noticed information when you obtain a new mobile phone. Some models are now made from completely recycled materials. These phones are packaged in recycled materials and contain prepaid envelopes that allow you to recycle your old phone. This is part of the mobile phone industries attempt to produce products that produce less waste and leave less of a carbon footprint. In addition, longer talk times help to reduce the amount of energy used for recharging your phone.

In addition to the smaller solar powered options mentioned earlier such as the cell phone charger, battery chargers, and flashlights, there are other products which electronics manufactures have been producing to help with larger products with greater energy usage. For example, battery systems that are designed to provide power to televisions and laptops are two of the options that are solar powered and designed to facilitate the use of larger draw electronics.

Another product of research and technological advancement is the biobattery. These batteries are designed to work similarly to the human body, converting sugar into electricity. In addition, the use of human muscle power and cranks to wind up batteries are also in the works. These systems do not depend on solar energy or wind power, though they do consume energy in the form of sugar and calories.

As technology advances, it becomes easier and more cost effective to make use of materials, which would otherwise be wasted. For example, silicon wafers are created as the first step in creating the electronic chips, which are found in everything from radios to computers. Some of this material is scrapped during the creation process. However, technological advancements have now made it possible for a large portion of this scrapped material to be used in the creation of solar panels. Something that until recently, was not possible.

Other technological advancements center on reducing the overall amount of energy a device uses. There are two benefits to this, the first is the reduction in energy consumption and second is the general increase in life expectancy for the product. The downside is that currently this technology makes use of new materials such as carbon nanotubes, rather than recycled materials.

Where Can Green Practices Be Found

When considering electronics you have to consider that the initiatives that are taken by American companies and comply with American standards may not be used on products made outside of the US. Considering that a large percentage of the electronics are made in Asia the concern may be valid. However, every company no matter where they are located is looking to create a better product and each country has standards that are designed to ensure that manufacturing does not cause unnecessary harm to the environment.

In Japan, there is the Home Electronics Recycling Law. In China, there is the WEEE or the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive as well as the Information Electronics Production Pollution Control and Management. In Europe, countries, which belong to the European Union, must adhere to the RoHS, as well as the ELV directives. RoHS stands for the Restriction of Hazardous substances and ELV is the End-of-Life Vehicle directive.

Hong Kong has established a non-profit organization called the HKGMA, which stands for the Hong Kong Green Manufacturing Alliance. It is supported by manufacturing and trade associates and is like many programs on the state level in the US designed to promote the awareness of green technology and manufacturing practices as well as applicable directives. These directives and programs are designed to promote the reduction of waste, the reduction of use in regards to hazardous materials like mercury and lead. In addition, they are designed to include everything from recovery of recyclable materials to disposal.

Green technology and electronics have come a long way however, there are still strides and advances to be made. Not every product can be made to a design that is cost effective when done following every possible guideline of green manufacturing. There are some materials where there are currently no green solutions to replace the current technology. However, as science and technology advances it allows for the creation of new materials, the incorporation of biological elements into static technology to create more effective and efficient devices the opportunity for products to become more environmentally friendly increases.