Sustainable Tech: 5 Things You Should Know

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Over the past several years, tech companies like Acer have been investing heavily in sustainable technology (better known as sustainable tech or eco-friendly tech). And as time goes on, most technology industry analysts say the trend will only intensify as consumers increasingly opt for technology that positively impacts the environment. 

As leaders in the green tech market, Acer has been working feverishly to satisfy customers with the products they desire, like green PCs and environmentally friendly mice. Acer has also been witness to a more discerning customer who wants certain features in the eco-friendly products they decide to buy. 

The sustainable tech industry is rapidly evolving. And its evolution has been both exciting and confusing as some companies stake claim to eco-friendly features that fail to live up to true green standards. Simply put, not all sustainable tech is equal. And it’s important you understand what makes true green tech green. 

Understanding what sustainable tech really is 

Sustainable tech has become a buzzword and selling point for some products, but not all devices are truly sustainable and eco-friendly. 

True sustainable tech is built with features and components that have been sustainably sourced. If a device requires software, it offers features that reduce its power consumption and generally reduce its impact on the environment. And if a green tech product fails to adequately address environmental pollution issues, it simply doesn’t fit the mold. 

But there’s still some trouble in defining exactly what sustainable tech is. With such a wide breadth of products all aiming at different green tech goals, the definition of what qualifies as sustainable tech has only expanded.  

Perhaps it’s best to identify sustainable tech as products that offer components, features, or innovative manufacturing processes that adequately and measurably reduce carbon emissions, improve sustainability, and generally reduce their load on the environment. 

Eco-friendly product considerations 

There are a host of sustainable products available now that run the gamut from the simple to the complex. Acer offers a range of sustainable tech products in its Vero line. In addition to green computers, Acer’s Vero line includes the Acer Vero BR277 green monitor. Acer even offers a range of eco-friendly mice, laptop sleeves, and mousepads. 

But we’re not alone. An increasing number of companies offer everything from solar chargers to sustainably sourced smartphone cases. You can also find smart light bulbs that help you reduce energy consumption in the home and water filtration gadgets to reduce waste. Add that to a bevy of programmable thermostats, solar water heaters, smart power strips, and so many other gadgets and you’ll find plenty to like if you want to boost your green tech game this year. 

Green PC features 

We’ve talked in general about the features that find their way to sustainable tech products, but Acer’s Vero line of PCs have been designed from the ground up to drive eco-friendliness. If you find products that come with the following features, you’ll undoubtedly reduce your environmental impact. 

Acer’s Vero-branded computers incorporate post-consumer recycled plastic. That means some of the plastic we use, both in the case shell and the Vero’s keyboard, has been used in other consumer products, recycled, and repurposed for our machines. 

Vero computers also ditch paint because of the potential negative impact paint can have on the environment. And with standard screws, we make it easy for you to open the computer and replace components to improve performance.  

Aside from that, Acer utilizes environmentally conscious production methods and will continue to innovate in that area going forward. 

Software drives sustainable tech 

Although sustainable tech often centers on the components and hardware features it offers, software is a critical component in ensuring green tech operates the way it could — and should. 

One of the core components in improving product sustainability is by creating software features that allow a device to run in a low-power mode that reduces consumption and wear and tear on the battery. Software features can also set schedules for when green tech products should be running and artificial intelligence features can identify opportunities to reduce power consumption in a device. 

Acer’s Vero line of computers offers two energy-saving modes called Eco and Eco+. The Eco setting makes system-level changes to improve power efficiency and battery life. Eco+ disables even more battery-consuming functions to create even better energy efficiency. 

The best sustainable tech is driven by efficiencies in hardware. But software can ultimately take a green tech product to another level.