Question:
A Report on E Waste and Its Environmental Effects.
Electronic gadget usage and urbanization have spread in a rapid manner especially since the last 20 years leading towards huge amount of e-waste generation that in turn results in polluting soil, water and environment (Elkington, 2007).
Therefore, controlling pollution and safety of environment have become important issues of scientists and activists in the domain of environmental studies across the world. E-waste dump is now one of the remains of the process of urbanization which has caused the main issues to the society as these wastes cannot be biodegraded and their enormous amount of deposit has caused problems of toxic substance accumulation such as lead etc. This in turn cause contamination problems that harm the natural substances (Andrews, 2009).
Therefore, electronic waste needs to be managed properly as this is a growing need for future as well. This research paper has been developed in order to discuss the several e-waste sources and by presenting recommendations for various companies and industries across the globe for gaining sustainability through green Information Technology
Even though the term, green computing and the alternate Green Information Technology have currently widely become popular and have gained a critically important position, their main origin conceptually is older than 20 years (Funk, 2003). The agency of Environmental Protection, in the year 1991, presented a program known as Green Lights for promoting lighting that is efficient in energy. Following this was the program of Energy Star in the year 1992, which was developed with specific energy efficiency requirements for using technological devices in organizations. It has been evident in the last 10 years only, however that Green Information Technology has enormously gained importance.
The businesses based on internet have grown rapidly and are known as cloud computing. The price of energy for running an infrastructure based IT is the main driver that has led towards Green Information Technology. Ever since the last decade, the relationship between using energy and generating carbon has evoked a desire of lessening them and increasing the label of computing services that are green (Gartner, 2008). For this research paper, green computing will be defined as the approach to maximize efficient computing resources usage for minimizing the impact on the environment. This is inclusive of the aim to control and reduce footprint of a product through hazardous materials use being minimized along with maintaining waste in manufacturing and distributing channels in all the companies supply chains. The goals of green computing expand to the use of a product beyond its life cycle by not only recycling it but also by reusing it and by biodegrading the products in obsolete manner (Funk, 2003).
Sustainable Green IT services in this research will be defined as a broad term which is inclusive of the IT service strategies influence over firms and societal bottom line of customers to constitute economy, environment and criteria of social responsibility to define the success of their organization (Eisenhardt et al, 2000). Thus, practices of Green IT help a company to gain IT sustainability through strategies and decisions of processes. This research paper has been developed for analyzing the impact of Green IT services on management of e-waste from the perspective of 3-Rs.
With a fast growth and advancement in technologies being used by organizations across a number of industries, there has been a growth in the level of consuming e- products. In addition to this, with the passage of time, this level has only been increasing at an extremely rapid pace (Grant, 2007). E-waste, or also known as electronic waste is referred to as the discarded electronic or electrical devices. The electronics that have been used already are destined for being reused, resold, salvaged, recycled or being disposed and are also considered as e-waste (IT-Governance-Institute, 2005). Electronic wastes being informally processed in the developing and developed nations across the globe, results in causing a number of serious issues related to pollution and health. This is due to the fact that majority of these developing nations have restricted oversight of regulation related to the processing of e-waste.
Also, E-waste is the leading waste stream growing rapidly across the world. In countries with established development, e-waste approximately is equivalent to 1 percent of the overall solidified waste (Harmon et al, 2010). The development countries increased market penetration, market replacement in countries that are development and higher rate of obsolescence has made electronic waste one of the most rapidly generating stream of waste. It is inclusive of products such as televisions, PCs, LCDs, devices for printing and scanning, mobiles along with several equipment’s used at homes, industries and hospitals as well. These wastes in huge quantities are removed as availability of any new technology takes place and as these wastes are constituted of toxicity and compounds that cause cancer, these wastes pose a major threat to the natural environment. Therefore, there is n increasing need for addressing management of e-waste especially in the countries that are yet developing. The valuable components of recyclable nature are present in e-wastes which can attract sectors that are informal and not organized towards them but not all practices are safe and risk free resulting majorly in posing a higher threat to the environment.
Electronic waste is an issue not only for the manufacturers but also for the consumers. More e-waste is generated every time an improvised model of a newer technological system enters the markets for the customers. Often it has been seen that manufacturers fail to acknowledge their product’s responsibility once the customer purchases the product and according to them it is now the responsibility of the consumer to dispose it. Currently, management of e-waste is in a poor condition (Avison et al, 2004). Even though approximately 65 percent is recycled, there still are various remains that cannot be recycled and they end up in landfills. In accordance to the report from electronic waste researchers, 2010, approximately 75 percent of heavy metal remaining dumped in the landfills come from discarding electronics which ultimately causes ground water contamination. Such waste, when burned rather than being dumped can lead towards emission of unhealthy radiations in the atmosphere and in turn causing pollution of air (Andrews, 2009). Even though designs of computers have emerged as appallingly proper and very fast when measuring from the perspective of their performance but when looking from the perspective of green technology, there is a lot of work still left (Dutta et al, 2010). Manufacturing computers, conventionally is inclusive of using lead, cadmium and even mercury along with generally toxic substances. According to the experts of green services, a PC individually consists of approximately 10 pounds of toxic waste contributing to generate two-fifth of the total landfill e-waste (Bicker, 2005). Not only from the perspective of hazardous generation of waste but also from the perspective of consuming power and generation of heat, IT services offer an enhanced danger to societies. In accordance to Bramfitt, the main manager of the programs at PG and E, servers of data center makes use of more energy per foot square as commercial property does. Centers of data are the initial reason lying behind consumption of energy and that is why organizations generally spend more capital on energy rather than on making hardware’s such as formulating servers. It has been depicted that cost of energy currently is approximately 10 percent of the approximate budget of IT and this can rise approximately to 50 percent in the coming time (Earl, 2009).
The best e-waste management practices and green computing policies are prominent to cover usage of smart power, reducing consumption of paper, recommending newer equipment’s to make environment friendly and for old machines safe recycling. Government agencies in locations such as Europe have started setting up various regulations on the environment that address management of waste, recycling waste, disposing specific waste types, regulating emission from industries and controlling pollution. Giant producers of electronics have started processing the techniques to build computers that are eco-friendly. There are also measures taken for making sure that apart from Pcs and laptops, other products related to electronic hardware also adhere strictly for restricting the hazardous substances used. There is a likeliness for them to be rid of hazardous substances such as PVCs and lead which are used generally to manufacture computer (Dutta et al, 2010). The main individual problem before the industry of IT is the usage of green materials to manufacture PCs with reliability. Solder of lead-tin used currently has malleability when processed and it is an ideal absorber of shock (Bicker, 2005). Till now, more solders have been replaced with brittle nature which still have to process the similar nature of reliability in the applications used every day. Front runner replacements are also examples requiring higher temperatures for melting that can influence the life of the chip. In order to deal with these situations, designers have made place for making computers in the future to be more eco-friendly throughout the total span of life ranging from the process of manufacturing to the process of recycling. This is done by several ways such as controlling the e-waste in the landfills by making best use of the substances through upgrading and on time repairing (Avison et al, 2004).
As already highlighted, the need to become green and sustainable with regard to the environment is the need of today and the future. This paper highlights this need by identifying what companies should do to become sustainably enhanced and green when managing their e-waste. The purpose lies in reviewing the present literature on Green IT services and the impact on IT services sustainability with regard to critical issues being identified and points of leverages being analyzed for improving the value for the customers, the business and the society. The development of this paper has been in the form of various chapters wherein Literature review, Data analysis, recommendations and conclusion are present (Earl, 2009). The scope of this paper lies in exploring the sustainable IT strategy elements and important corporate social responsibility framework related important regulations to identify the problems and questions that can help in motivating research in the future in the domain of Green IT.
To find how green Information Technology helps in e-waste management in an organization.
For the purpose of this research, the framework for analysis has been used that is for the transfer of technology for addressing the changes in the climate (Eisenhardt et al, 2000). The review on literature had been presented by the selection of e- waste technologies of recycling with the key promise in order to assist in creating a sector that is more sustainable including recycling. This entire research has been conducted on the basis of analyzing the technologies of real life and the key finding shall be summarized. This literature had been presented by the identification of actual events related to the practices of e-waste and sustainability being performed by a number of businesses across different technologies in a successful manner, yet with certain scope of improvement as well.
It has been articulated regarding the paradox of technology that the disruption in environment has resulted in being brought by the economy of the industry, but the fact should not be denied that the advancements taking place in the economy of industry can be considered as being the key route to the quality of environment. Sustainable and innovative sources of consumption, production and living are required for dealing with the environmental issues, and the ICTs can and will be playing a major role in order to address these particular issues and challenges (Williams, 2010). Governments have been playing a major role in both ways, for direct improvement in the performance of environment of the activities related to ICT, and for the encouragement of the broader application of the technologies across the economy for the improvement of performance in the environment and underpinning growth that is green.
At the core of the modern society of technology lies a paradox that is unacknowledged. Even though, across the globe, there is an increased dependability on technology and the adoption of new technologies is being done at an extremely fast pace. This has increased the need for equipping in order to make decisions that are well- considered or for thinking in a critical manner regarding technology. The consequences of the choices of technology; systems, processes and products, have started to come into focus.
The technologies of environment have started to become highly relevant for the firms of businesses for reducing the impacts on environment and for differentiating from these competitors. The main aim of this paper will be focused on the fundamental approaches related to management of strategies with sustainability along with the significance of strategies for the initiatives of sustainability. This paper will also be analyzing the initiative of Green Information Technology. With the passage of time, sustainability has been emerging as an extremely important topic in the management of strategies in the duration of the last few years (Williams, 2010). In addition to this, it has been identified that it shall end up becoming a megatrend that will be changing the game.
However, the executives of business seem to be struggling a lot for the identification of sources providing competitive advantage based on sustainability and for integrating the aspects of the environment within the strategy of corporate. In addition to this, the role of strategy related to information technology has still been challenging the executives. The strategy of IT must be in alignment with the strategy of businesses for the enhancement of competitiveness amongst the businesses and the firms. However, alignment in the businesses and IT have been a key concern for a number of stakeholder along with a necessity for the consideration of environmental aspects related to IT that has resulted in increasing the level of complexity related to this challenge of strategies (Eisenhardt & Martin, 2000).
IT can be held responsible for the large emissions of carbon dioxide and the increased demand for the processing of data and the capacities of storage has been increasing with the passage of time. Even so, the green practices of IT can contribute in the enhancement of consequent application and the energy efficiency related to green technologies can contribute in decreasing the emissions of carbon dioxide related to IT (Funk, 2003). Green IT has been considered as the technology of strategy that has the ability of playing a significant role in order to re-engineer the business and the processes of production for reducing the footprint of environment related to the organizations. Further ahead, the green practices of IT has contributed in inducing considerable amounts of savings in cost and often seem to be having a return on investment with high degree of positivity.
The interaction between natural environment and the Information Technology can be classified into three different levels. These levels are direct influences, enabling influences, and the systematic influences.
Direct Influences: Direct influences of IT over the environment are also referred to as the effects of first- order. These are referred to as the negative and positive influences due directly to the services and goods of IT and the processes that are related to it. Direct impacts on the environment related to the products of IT seem to be coming from the manufacturing of IT and the services for the production of organization along with relayed producers of intermediate goods and from the end users and consumers of the Information Technologies (Williams, 2010). The producers of IT seem to be affecting the natural environment in the duration of producing IT services and goods and by the operations related to it. Each and every of these operations of production can be having more or less the impacts on the environment. Considering the final end in the chain of value, users and consumers seem to be influencing the impact and the shape of the direct footprint of environment by purchasing, consuming, using and treating the services and goods of Information Technology. Customers can make a choice of energy efficiency and certified equipment of green IT over several other products.
Enabling Influences: Information Technologies seem to be affecting how the designing, production, consumption, utilization and disposal of other products being done (Eisenhardt & Martin, 2000). Enabling influences of Information Technologies is also referred to as the effects of second order. This particular impact is known to be coming up from the applications IT that contribute in reducing the impact on the environment over the activities of the society and the economy ahead of the sectors that produce IT along with the straightforward applications of IT being done (Elkington, 2007). However, there is a need for measuring the potentiality of negative impacts when assessment is done of the net impacts on the environment like greater utilization of energy by the systems enabled by IT for the improvement of flow in the traffic or the functionalities related to the urban systems and building, because of the perceived level of efficiencies that lead towards greater utilization.
The products of IT have the capability of affecting the footprint of environment of a number of products in four different key ways. These are as follows (Xie, 2009):
Systematic Influences: Systematic influences over IT on the environment are also referred to as the effects of third- order. These are considered to be rooted in the change of behavior and behavior. The positive systematic results related to the green applications of IT being highly dependent over the acceptance of end- user, adjustments of life- style and trends within the collective behavior of the society (Eisenhardt, K.M., & Martin, 2000). Systematic effects related to Information Technologies and their repercussions of environment have comparatively stayed unexplored, mainly due to the fact that there is high degree of complexity in the assessment of changes that take place in the technology, consumption and production in the longer and medium duration of time (Gartner, 2008). Product analysis of life- cycle has been identified as a relevant tool for the provision of insights within the influences of ITs on the changes in behavior and the effects related to the changes in behavior on the ITs.
IT can be held responsible for the large emissions of carbon dioxide and the increased demand for the processing of data and the capacities of storage has been increasing with the passage of time. Even so, the green practices of IT can contribute in the enhancement of consequent application and the energy efficiency related to green technologies can contribute in decreasing the emissions of carbon dioxide related to IT (IT-Governance-Institute, 2005). Green IT has been considered as the technology of strategy that has the ability of playing a significant role in order to re-engineer the business and the processes of production for reducing the footprint of environment related to the organizations. Further ahead, the green practices of IT has contributed in inducing considerable amounts of savings in cost and often seem to be having a return on investment with high degree of positivity.
The ones supporting the scheme for the reduction of work seem to be maintaining and agreeing upon the fact that the reduced number of hours will be having a positive impact over the environment being involved and the raw materials being used on day to day basis. For countering this particular theory, there are a number of researchers who have been arguing upon the fact that a reduced number of hours will not lead towards the reduced level of damage being done on the environment. Each and every year, technology has been making advancements in the production of products with low energy that will contribute in reducing the damage being caused to the environment.
Arguments have been placed that with these types of advancement, there will be no need for reducing the number of working hours as a reduced consumption of energy will, as a matter of fact, will enable the employees for working for longer duration of time. The producers of IT seem to be affecting the natural environment in the duration of producing IT services and goods and by the operations related to it. Each and every of these operations of production can be having more or less the impacts on the environment. Considering the final end in the chain of value, users and consumers seem to be influencing the impact and the shape of the direct footprint of environment by purchasing, consuming, using and treating the services and goods of Information Technology (Williams, 2010). Customers can make a choice of energy efficiency and certified equipment of green IT over several other products.
One of the biggest issues that are being faced by the world currently is the quantity of energy being consumed across the globe. With approximately each and every business across the globe utilizing the technology of computer for conducting operation, the consumption of energy in the current world of industrialization has been increasing at a constant rate. Nations like the United States of America, where the average number of employees have been working for a duration of 40 hours every week, due to this result, the consumption of energy of a basic office in the United States of America, there are chances that it will end up being higher in comparison with that of an office in a nation where the average week of performing does not tend to be exceeding the duration of 40 hours.
As per the survey conducted by the International Agency of Energy, approximately 4 per cent of the energy being consumed across the globe in the year 2008 had been because of the mass utilization of information technology of communications. Prediction had been made that there will be a rise in this figure by 40 per cent by the arrival of the year 2030 (Kilian, 2009). By the arrival of this year, the demands related to the sources of electricity across the globe will also end up becoming double across the globe and the organizations will require to be having a viable solution for the prevention of technologies related to computer from being a major source of drainage on the energy resources across the globe.
As per the current data, majority of the organizations across globe have not been looking at greener technology in an active manner along with adoption of methods that are ecologically sound for the production of energy that thy require. In the current era of globalization, majority of the organizations have not been thinking about ways for the improvement of their footprint of carbon, yet this has been considered as an issue or problem that require to be addressed sooner instead of later (Kilian, 2009). Majority of the analyses and the most of the IT policies related to environment have been creating more focus on the direct influences, irrespective of the potentiality of having higher profits for being reaped from the strategies that focus on the increased number of enabling influences and systematic influences as well. The electronics that have been used already are destined for being reused, resold, salvaged, recycled or disposed of and are also considered as e-waste. Electronic wastes being informally processed in the developing and developed nations across the globe, results in causing a number of serious issues related to pollution and health. This is due to the fact that majority of these developing nations have restricted oversight of regulation related to the processing of e-waste.
However, these are not just regarding the information technologies of communication that seem to be effecting the environment and the ecology of the planet earth. There are a number of environmental and ecological issues that take place because of the rapidly growing nations that are industrializing like China and South Korea (Williams, 2010). With so many nations that have been conducting the activities of outsourcing the services and products being manufactured to these particular industrialized countries, there has been the construction of a number of factories due to this result. For running these types of factories, the energy being consumed is of large amount that is needed for running the factories on daily basis. The emissions of carbon dioxide being produced by these factories are one of the major contributors for the generation of pollutants in a significant manner.
Apart from the industries, there are a number of other ways in which the use of technology has been having a negative impact on the environment across the globe. In the current era of globalization, there are a number of gadgets with high technology being designed for making the lives of human beings more pleasant as well as easier. These gadgets have an extremely wide range such as the refrigerator, kettles, microwaves and many more.
Only in the region of United States of America, approximately 83 per cent of the total energy seems to be coming from the process of combustion (Xie, 2009). The process of combustion can be considered as an effective way for the production of energy for sources that are of wider range. The negative effect related to the process of combustion however, can be considered as the value of harmful gases and greenhouse gases being produced and emitted in the atmosphere. The production and emission of these types of gases can be having a negative and devastating effect over the layer of ozone and contributes in generating the term that is referred to as the greenhouse effects. In an essential manner, the effect of these gases contributes in adding up towards increasing the level of warm air that ends up being filtered across the globe by the current of air like the Stream of Gulf.
More often considered as the balance of thermal energy, these currents of warm air results in affecting the seasons and the climate. With respect to this result, the winters might end up being unseasonably warm or the duration of summers being comparatively cool. Though, in a more devastating manner, this has been considered as the harmful impact with an increased balance of thermal energy even on the polar region (Kilian, 2009). This is because of the increase in the balance of thermal energy that there has been an increase in the events of Polar icecaps being melted at an extremely devastating rate that results to cause a significant rise in the oceans across the globe. The producers of IT seem to be affecting the natural environment in the duration of producing IT services and goods and by the operations related to it. Each and every of these operations of production can be having more or less the impacts on the environment. Considering the final end in the chain of value, users and consumers seem to be influencing the impact and the shape of the direct footprint of environment by purchasing, consuming, using and treating the services and goods of Information Technology. Customers can make a choice of energy efficiency and certified equipment of green IT over several other products.
Irrespective of the claims that are being blamed upon technology for a number of environmental issues across the globe, the advancement in technology has also been serving on the improvement for shaping the entire planet in a better manner (Kilian, 2009). Since there has been increase in the utilization of technology within the work place, a number of organizations of Information Technology are being designed for having cleaner and greener technology with the main aim of combatting the detrimental impact that the technology of computers along with the related technology have on the ecology and the environment of the planet earth. Sustainable and innovative sources of consumption, production and living are required for dealing with the environmental issues, and the ICTs can and will be playing a major role in order to address these particular issues and challenges.
Governments have been playing a major role in both ways, for direct improvement in the performance of environment of the activities related to ICT, and for the encouragement of the broader application of the technologies across the economy for the improvement of performance in the environment and underpinning growth that is green (Xie, 2009). In general sense, the strategies of green growth have been becoming a significant part of wider policies related to the industries and the economy.
The best known organizations to be following green technology is the Green Grid. The Green Grid is the company where there is constituency of the organizations of IT along with the professionals from across the globe. New ways are being devised by the organization of Green Grid for the improvement of ways in which consumption of energy is being done by the businesses along with the organizations being oriented by Information Technology. By the organization of Green Grid, there have been a number of achievements and the biggest one of all are the system of metric, initiating effectiveness in the utilization of power also referred to as the PUE. This particular system contributes in recording centre of data for the consumption of energy. This particular system performs this job by keeping a record of the energy being consumed within the centre of data or the server of mainframe within the duration of 15 minutes (Xie, 2009). By keeping a record of these increments in the duration of 15 minutes, this system helps to monitor the data for noticing if there is involvement of any fluctuations in the energy and if the systems of data centre are utilizing an appropriate quantity of energy. The key goal in the long run being focused by the organization of Green Grid is focused on introducing a system in standard form that assists the managers of business and the operatives of IT for comparing the quantity of energy being consumed and if important resolve the ways for the reduction of this.
Other technology is to have positive impacts over the environment is the technology of low carbon. The technology of low carbon is a type of technology that is being developed in the nation of China. China has been identified as an economy of low carbon for mainly two significant reasons. The positive systematic results related to the green applications of IT being highly dependent over the acceptance of end- user, adjustments of life- style and trends within the collective behaviour of the society (Williams, 2010). Systematic effects related to Information Technologies and their repercussions of environment have comparatively stayed unexplored, mainly due to the fact that there is high degree of complexity in the assessment of changes that take place in the technology, consumption and production in the longer and medium duration of time.
Product analysis of life- cycle has been identified as a relevant tool for the provision of insights within the influences of ITs on the changes in behaviour and the effects related to the changes in behaviour on the ITs. IT can be held responsible for the large emissions of carbon dioxide and the increased demand for the processing of data and the capacities of storage has been increasing with the passage of time. Even so, the green practices of IT can contribute in the enhancement of consequent application and the energy efficiency related to green technologies can contribute in decreasing the emissions of carbon dioxide related to IT (Kilian, 2009). Green IT has been considered as the technology of strategy that has the ability of playing a significant role in order to re-engineer the business and the processes of production for reducing the footprint of environment related to the organizations. Further ahead, the green practices of IT has contributed in inducing considerable amounts of savings in cost and often seem to be having a return on investment with high degree of positivity.
For other nations focusing on the development of effective technologies of low carbon, there will be a need for having a number of different approaches with respect to the resources in comparison with the nation of China. This is due to the fact that a number of other nations will be having differentiated environment and differentiated form of natural resources being in hand. The main resource of China is the extensive form of the coal being supplied which is readily burnt as a significant source of renewable fuel of fossil. China has been identified as the nation having significant richness in the renewable sources of energy and it not only has the ability of exploiting the resources of coal for this particular duration of time, but also it seems to be having the renewable sources of hydroelectricity in large quantity. These types of renewable resource, if managed in an appropriate manner will end up going a long way for the creation of China as a nation with low carbon in the future.
There are a number of other nations who also have the capability of diversifying into new options of low carbon, all credit of which can be given to the advancement in the technology. Wind power, solar power and bio- fuels cannot be considered as the fiction of science but the actual facts of science. These particular sources seem to be having the capability for the replacement of certain resources of energy being used currently that contribute in the production of gases that are extremely harmful (Xie, 2009). These particular developments that are new making a move towards a future with low carbon, only have the possibility of being accomplished by making advancements in the technologies of modern times and has been considered as one way that technology has a beneficial as well as positive impact over the environment.
One very obvious way be which technology has contributed to help the ecology, eco- system and environment of the planet is by the reduction in the need and utilization of paper. The effects of induction occur if the products of IT can be inducing increased level of demand for the products. For an instance, printers with high efficiency contribute in stimulating demand for the paper of high quality that increases the pressure over forests and the resources used to make paper, even if the direct utilization of resources is decreased in the operation and production of the printers (Olson, 2008). With an increase in the utilization of electronic modes of communication and email, offices that are paperless are now quiet amongst the organizations and the businesses. Reduction in the need and use of paper in turn contributes in the reduction of the demand to follow the processes of deforestation and logging that allow the richer lands for the creation of footprint that are smaller. The green technologies being developed like PC systems for the management of power as well as the devices of multiple functions assist the businesses that have heavy reliability over the technology for the reduction in the value of energy being consumed.
As office have been becoming more sound in context with environment, if there is an employment of a number of new sources of energy for the reduction of technologies that have readily availability and contributes in incorporating them with practices that are eco- friendly like the excess lights being turned off when there is no need of any light and utilizing less paper for certain purposes where there is an involvement a number of other options. The e- waste majority are resulted to landfills (Olson, 2008). However, their some part recyclability, due to their composition of material along with the restrictions which are unavoidable in landfills, has resulted to the retrieval techniques development for their reuse, focusing the significance of recycling the e-waste, not only from the aspect of the waste management but also from the retrieval aspect of the valuable materials.
E-waste chemically and physically wise differ from waste of industry or urban. It used both valuable and dangerous materials which required some special treatment and practices of recycling to neglect the impact of the adverse environment and negative impact on the health of human (Eisenhardt, K.M., & Martin, 2000). In order to retrieve expensive and base metals is may be possible by e-waste recycling, but the increasing cost of labour and the strict legislation of the environment have been consolidating these performances, mostly implementation in the countries of Asia like India and China by use of accurate methods emphasis which is inadequate on the protection of the employees.
With a fast growth and advancement in technologies being used by organizations across a number of industries, there has been a growth in the level of consuming e- products. In addition to this, with the passage of time, this level has only been increasing at an extremely rapid pace. E-waste, or also known as electronic waste is referred to as the discarded electronic or electrical devices (Kilian, 2009). The electronics that have been used already are destined for being reused, resold, salvaged, recycled or disposed of and are also considered as e-waste. Electronic wastes being informally processed in the developing and developed nations across the globe, results in causing a number of serious issues related to pollution and health. This is due to the fact that majority of these developing nations have restricted oversight of regulation related to the processing of e-waste.
As an emerging topic within the management of IT, the practices of “Green Information Technology” have been drawing high degree of interest amongst the organizations of Information technology as well as the providers of services, manufacturers and the suppliers. With a rapid increase in the costs of energy and the widening awareness related to the impact over the changes in global climate, the organizations of IT have been looking for a number of strategies for offsetting the rise in the level of cost and for utilizing technology in such a manner that contributes in reducing their impact on the environment (Williams, 2010). With the growth in the number of evidence, there have been demonstrations of the potentiality in the return on investment has resulted from the adoption of approaches related to Green Information Technology that lead the organizations are for the implementation of new solutions with respect to innovation. These contribute in the reduction of their bills in utility and greening their practices of procurement. These organizations have also been focused on the implementation of technologies that contribute in taking a number of employees off the roads (Grant, 2007). Certain electronic or electrical components consist of materials that have the ability of being recycled and hold on to some value of commercialization. Majority of the respondents perceived the practice of e-waste as being equipment that seem to be holding a particular amount of value within the industry and the society as well.
Even though, in the current era of globalization, there is no standardization in the definition for the emergence of body related to best practices and knowledge that have been collectively reported as per the names like green computing and computing with sustainability, a basic definition can be considered in context with the Green IT (Xie, 2009). Green IT is referred to as studying and practicing the utilization of resources related to computing in a manner that contributes in the reduction of energy and the costs of operation that enable the sustainable practices of business and the ones reducing the impact on the environment related to the practices of IT in the bigger community or the society.
Green practices of Information Technology contribute in attracting the attention of management and media today, partly due to the wider interest and emphasis being laid upon the programs related to social responsibilities in the corporate world. With an increase in the level of public awareness related to the issues in the environment, the efforts of Corporate Social Responsibility are also linked with the initiatives that contribute in building the image of brand for the creation of positive environment.
In the support of infrastructure and the communities for the management of data centre, there has been a growth in the number of evidences that the organizations of Information Technology can also contribute in greening up the practices of recycling, procurement and energy. These particular efforts seem to be closely considered within the entire industry. This is mainly due to the fact that while the organizations of these industries have been contributing towards the wider agenda of environment and the corporate social responsibility. It has been indicated in the evidence that these types of evidences shall contribute in making sound sense within the economy and in a number of cases, these contribute in the generation of saving in a substantial manner (Olson, 2008). With this particular opportunity of win- win that emerge across the networks of CGIs with respect to their client, Information Technology has started to become a key area of being focused upon and the opportunity for the companies in order to look for the adoption of sustainable or green practices within the business.
In the sense of practicality, the target of the new programs is imposed upon a large ranges of issues related to travelling, environment, cost and energy. In the current era of globalization, more and more number of people have been working for longer duration of time and there is being more utilization of technology in the day to day lives. Due to these particular longer duration time and increase in the utilization technology, the fact should not be denied that there is an increase in the consumption of energy (Williams, 2010). The influence that is being imposed on the environment are known to be substantial in both ways, positive as well as negative. It is difficult for denying the fact that the advantages being produced by the modern technology in the world, are advantageous for the industries and the day to day lives as well. With the increased breakthroughs of the technology, there have been an involvement of a number of positive as well as negative impacts on the ecology and the environment.
Information Technologies also seem to be fundamentally affecting the methods by which individuals have been living and working, and the production and delivery of services and goods being done. These seem to be offering opportunities for the significant improvement in the performance of environment. What will be the verdict regarding the time over the world that is man- made? Uneasiness has been prevailing in the newspapers, forums of politics, and the states across the globe; in the oceans and the lakes, and beside the forests. As per the perception of a number of people, developments of science, technology and economy are said to be accompanying by a number of risks for health, society and environment. With the passage if each year, unintended and unanticipated results of the mature technologies have been revealing themselves in a clear manner and technologies being committed that has been suffusing the economy.
The technologies of environment have started to become highly relevant for the firms of businesses for reducing the impacts on environment and for differentiating from these competitors. The main aim of this paper will be focused on the fundamental approaches related to management of strategies with sustainability along with the significance of strategies for the initiatives of sustainability. This paper will also be analysing the initiative of Green Information Technology (Olson, 2008). With the passage of time, sustainability has been emerging as an extremely important topic in the management of strategies in the duration of the last few years. In addition to this, it has been identified that it shall end up becoming a megatrend that will be changing the game. However, the executives of business seem to be struggling a lot for the identification of sources providing competitive advantage based on sustainability and for integrating the aspects of the environment within the strategy of corporate.
Systematic influences over IT on the environment are also referred to as the effects of third- order. These are considered to be rooted in the change of behaviour and behaviour. The positive systematic results related to the green applications of IT being highly dependent over the acceptance of end- user, adjustments of life- style and trends within the collective behaviour of the society. Systematic effects related to Information Technologies and their repercussions of environment have comparatively stayed unexplored, mainly due to the fact that there is high degree of complexity in the assessment of changes that take place in the technology, consumption and production in the longer and medium duration of time (Williams, 2010). The interaction between natural environment and the Information Technology can be classified into three different levels. These levels are direct influences, enabling influences, and the systematic influences.
As office have been becoming more sound in context with environment, if there is an employment of a number of new sources of energy for the reduction of technologies that have readily availability and contributes in incorporating them with practices that are eco- friendly like the excess lights being turned off when there is no need of any light and utilizing less paper for certain purposes where there is an involvement a number of other options. The e- waste majority are resulted to landfills (Olson, 2008).
This thesis has focused on 2 prominent research questions that will lead to idealize the research objective. The 2 research questions whose analysis will be presented in this section are as follows:
As per the current data, majority of the organizations across globe have not been looking at greener technology in an active manner along with adoption of methods that are ecologically sound for the production of energy that thy require (WCSD, 2007). In the current era of globalization, majority of the organizations have not been thinking about ways for the improvement of their footprint of carbon, yet this has been considered as an issue or problem that require to be addressed sooner instead of later (WCSD, 2007). Majority of the analyses and the most of the IT policies related to environment have been creating more focus on the direct influences, irrespective of the potentiality of having higher profits for being reaped from the strategies that focus on the increased number of enabling influences and systematic influences as well. The electronics that have been used already are destined for being reused, resold, salvaged, recycled or disposed of and are also considered as e-waste (WCSD, 2007). Electronic wastes being informally processed in the developing and developed nations across the globe, results in causing a number of serious issues related to pollution and health. This is due to the fact that majority of these developing nations have restricted oversight of regulation related to the processing of e-waste. With an increase in the negative impact being imposed upon the environment due to the use of technology, there is an increased need for the adoption of a holistic approach in order to green the industry of Information Technology as it is the responsibility for the creation of an environment that is more sustainable with less emission of greenhouse gases and low level of carbon (Watson & Chen, 2010). Societies, governments and enterprises at large having a new agenda that is important in order to tackle the issues in the environment and the adoption of practices that are environmentally sound (Xie, 2009). Since the passage of years, there has been an explosion in the utilization of Information Technology in a number of areas for the improvement of lives and work and in order to offer the convenience as well as a number of other advantages. There is passion amongst the advancement in and widely adopting the Information Technology.
The first research question has been analysed by focusing on research literature and by reviewing the same in an appropriate manner:
Sustainable and innovative sources of consumption, production and living are required for dealing with the environmental issues, and the ICTs can and will be playing a major role in order to address these particular issues and challenges. Governments have been playing a major role in both ways, for direct improvement in the performance of environment of the activities related to ICT, and for the encouragement of the broader application of the technologies across the economy for the improvement of performance in the environment and underpinning growth that is green. In general sense, the strategies of green growth have been becoming a significant part of wider policies related to the industries and the economy.
The Green ITs are the ones that seem to be having positive effects on the ecosystems and performance of the environment, either by direct reduction in the energy and physical inputs in the process of producing, using, disposing, and recycling, or in an indirect manner by the broader application and utilization of other systems and equipment (Eisenhardt & Martin, 2000). ITs along with their application seem to be having both types of effects on the environment that includes negative as well as positive. For an instance, reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases related with the applications of IT for the improvement of efficiency in energy within the systems of transportation, buildings, or distribution of electricity must be done by bringing a balance in the increased level of emissions that result from the operation, production, development and potentiality for environmental degradation related with the disposal that has not been under control.
The technologies of environment have started to become highly relevant for the firms of businesses for reducing the impacts on environment and for differentiating from these competitors. Information Technologies also seem to be fundamentally affecting the methods by which individuals have been living and working, and the production and delivery of services and goods being done (Eisenhardt & Martin, 2000). These seem to be offering opportunities for the significant improvement in the performance of environment. However, at the same point of time, electronic applications and equipment of electronics contribute in increasing the consumption of energy, exhausting the scarcity of resources, and increasing disposal of resources and in order to recycle the challenges.
The interaction between natural environment and the Information Technology can be classified into three different levels. These levels are direct influences, enabling influences, and the systematic influences. Majority of the analyses and the most of the IT policies related to environment have been creating more focus on the direct influences, irrespective of the potentiality of having higher profits for being reaped from the strategies that focus on the increased number of enabling influences and systematic influences as well. The electronics that have been used already are destined for being reused, resold, salvaged, recycled or disposed of and are also considered as e-waste. Electronic wastes being informally processed in the developing and developed nations across the globe, results in causing a number of serious issues related to pollution and health. This is due to the fact that majority of these developing nations have restricted oversight of regulation related to the processing of e-waste.
Fig 1: Framework for the Impacts of Green IT
In the current era of globalization, more and more number of people have been working for longer duration of time and there is being more utilization of technology in the day to day lives. Due to these particular longer duration time and increase in the utilization technology, the fact should not be denied that there is an increase in the consumption of energy (Harmon et al, 2010). The influence that is being imposed on the environment are known to be substantial in both ways, positive as well as negative. It is difficult for denying the fact that the advantages being produced by the modern technology in the world, are advantageous for the industries and the day to day lives as well. With the increased breakthroughs of the technology, there have been an involvement of a number of positive as well as negative impacts on the ecology and the environment. Information Technologies also seem to be fundamentally affecting the methods by which individuals have been living and working, and the production and delivery of services and goods being done (Kilian, 2009). These seem to be offering opportunities for the significant improvement in the performance of environment. However, at the same point of time, electronic applications and equipment of electronics contribute in increasing the consumption of energy, exhausting the scarcity of resources, and increasing disposal of resources and in order to recycle the challenges.
Sustainable and innovative sources of consumption, production and living are required for dealing with the environmental issues, and the ICTs can and will be playing a major role in order to address these particular issues and challenges. Governments have been playing a major role in both ways, for direct improvement in the performance of environment of the activities related to ICT, and for the encouragement of the broader application of the technologies across the economy for the improvement of performance in the environment and underpinning growth that is green (Williams, 2010). At the core of the modern society of technology lies a paradox that is unacknowledged. Even though, across the globe, there is an increased dependability on technology and the adoption of new technologies is being done at an extremely fast pace.
Information Technology has resulted in the rise of a number of issues within the environment that is not realized by majority of the people. Computers as well as other infrastructure of IT consumes a large quantity of electricity in a significant manner that place a large burden on the grids of electricity and that contributes in the emission of greenhouse gases (Olson, 2008). In addition to this, the hardware of Information Technology has been posing a number of issues for the environment both, in the duration of its disposal as well as in the duration of its production. IT has been identified as a growing and significant part of the issues in the environment being faced in the current of globalization as well as global warming (Avison et al, 2004). The human beings hold the obligation for minimizing or eliminating where there is possibility with respect to the impact on the environment due to Information Technology in order to assist for the creation of an environment where there is higher degree of sustainability. For the reduction of issues in the environment that are caused by Information Technology and for creating an environment with high degree of sustainability, the sector of IT should be considered along with each and every user of computer for the creation of an environment with improved sustainability in the environment for greening the systems of IT (Xie, 2009). There is an involvement of legal, ethical, and social need for greening the products of IT, their related applications, practices and services.
The green IT have been considered as being highly beneficial for the environment as these initiatives seem to be having the potential for the improvement of efficiency in energy, reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases, utilizing material that is less harmful and providing encouragement for the processes of reusing as well as recycling. Factors like the legislation of environment, the rise in the cost for disposing off waste, images of the corporate world, and perception of the public contribute in giving further impetus for the initiation of green Information Technology (Watson & Chen, 2010). Green IT has been identified as a hot topic in the current era of globalization and global warming, and this particular issue shall be considered as being important continuously for a number of years still to come.
Green practices of Information Technology contribute in attracting the attention of management and media today, partly due to the wider interest and emphasis being laid upon the programs related to social responsibilities in the corporate world. With an increase in the level of public awareness related to the issues in the environment, the efforts of Corporate Social Responsibility are also linked with the initiatives that contribute in building the image of brand for the creation of positive environment (Xie, 2009).
With the growth in the number of evidence, there have been demonstrations of the potentiality in the return on investment has resulted from the adoption of approaches related to Green Information Technology that lead the organizations are for the implementation of new solutions with respect to innovation. These contribute in the reduction of their bills in utility and greening their practices of procurement. These organizations have also been focused on the implementation of technologies that contribute in taking a number of employees off the roads. With an increase in the negative impact being imposed upon the environment due to the use of technology, there is an increased need for the adoption of a holistic approach in order to green the industry of Information Technology as it is the responsibility for the creation of an environment that is more sustainable with less emission of greenhouse gases and low level of carbon (WCSD, 2007). Societies, governments and enterprises at large having a new agenda that is important in order to tackle the issues in the environment and the adoption of practices that are environmentally sound.
Fig 2: Benefits and Reasons for Using Green Practices of IT
(Source: WCSD, 2007)
Green Practices of IT are known to be given huge importance that is focused to design, manufacture, use, and dispose of servers, computers, and related sub- systems like devices for storage, printers, monitors, and systems of communications and net- working. All these activities are supposed to be done in an efficient and effective manner with no or minimum level of impact over the eco- system and the environment of the planet earth. The green practices of IT also seem to be striving for the achievement of viability with respect to the economy and improving the performance of systems and being utilized, while the ethical and social responsibilities being abided with (Kilian, 2009). Thus, it can be stated that the green practices of IT is known to be including the dimensions related to the sustainability in the environment, the economics related to the efficiency of the energy, and the entire level of cost related to ownership, where there is an inclusion of the cost related to recycling and disposing.
There has been a growth in the number of users and vendors of IT that have been making a move towards the green practices of IT and thereby, providing assistance in order to build an economy and society that is green. When the customers seem to be experiencing a number of events related to green regulations and green taxes, they will automatically be showing preference to the green solutions of Information Technology (Olson, 2008). However, for building an environment that is greener, one must be focused on abolishing or modifying a number of familiar and old ways in order to do things and for the discovery of new methods. In a fortunate manner, the industry of IT seem to be showing interest to handle the issues of IT on the environment and for persuading new and different opportunities that shall be beneficial for the environment. Maintaining sustainability within the environment and in the sector of IT should be considered as the key for a healthy, happy, and successful future of mankind.
With an increase in the negative impact being imposed upon the environment due to the use of technology, there is an increased need for the adoption of a holistic approach in order to green the industry of Information Technology as it is the responsibility for the creation of an environment that is more sustainable with less emission of greenhouse gases and low level of carbon. Societies, governments and enterprises at large having a new agenda that is important in order to tackle the issues in the environment and the adoption of practices that are environmentally sound. Since the passage of years, there has been an explosion in the utilization of Information Technology in a number of areas for the improvement of lives and work and in order to offer the convenience as well as a number of other advantages (Watson & Chen, 2010). There is passion amongst the advancement in and widely adopting the Information Technology. However, Information Technology has resulted in the rise of a number of issues within the environment that is not realized by majority of the people.
For addressing the impacts imposed by Information Technology on the environment in a comprehensive and effective manner, one must be focused on the adoption of a holistic approach that contributes in addressing the issues as well as provide four different paths to be followed. These four significantly important paths are as follows (WCSD, 2007):
Fig 3: Holistic Approach for Greening Information Technology
By creating the focus on these particular efforts related to these four considerations, businesses and the industries can be able to achieve total sustainability in favour of the environment from the side of Information Technology and presenting greener Information Technology. In the support of infrastructure and the communities for the management of data centre, there has been a growth in the number of evidences that the organizations of Information Technology can also contribute in greening up the practices of recycling, procurement and energy. These particular efforts seem to be closely considered within the entire industry (Olson, 2008). This is mainly due to the fact that while the organizations of these industries have been contributing towards the wider agenda of environment and the corporate social responsibility (Williams, 2010). It has been indicated in the evidence that these types of evidences shall contribute in making sound sense within the economy and in a number of cases, these contribute in the generation of saving in a substantial manner. With this particular opportunity of win- win that emerge across the networks of CGIs with respect to their client, Information Technology has started to become a key area of being focused upon and the opportunity for the companies in order to look for the adoption of sustainable or green practices within the business.
As an emerging topic within the management of IT, the practices of “Green Information Technology” have been drawing high degree of interest amongst the organizations of Information technology as well as the providers of services, manufacturers and the suppliers. With a rapid increase in the costs of energy and the widening awareness related to the impact over the changes in global climate, the organizations of IT have been looking for a number of strategies for offsetting the rise in the level of cost and for utilizing technology in such a manner that contributes in reducing their impact on the environment (Xie, 2009). With the growth in the number of evidence, there have been demonstrations of the potentiality in the return on investment has resulted from the adoption of approaches related to Green Information Technology that lead the organizations are for the implementation of new solutions with respect to innovation. These contribute in the reduction of their bills in utility and greening their practices of procurement. These organizations have also been focused on the implementation of technologies that contribute in taking a number of employees off the roads.
Fig 4: Greening entire Life Cycle of Computers
(Source: Olson, 2008)
Unwanted monitors and computers should not be disposed of in the dust bins as these will end up being thrown away in landfills that cause a number of serious issues for the environment. However, one should be refurbishing and reusing or recycling them in ways that have soundness for the environment.
Why is there is a need for buying new computers for all of the projects or at least in the duration of three to four years? One should be making use of older computers if it has the capability of meeting the requirements. Otherwise, one should be giving it away to someone who requires it or utilize the components of functionality from the project that have been retired (Andrews, 2009). By the utilization of these hardware for a longer duration of time, one can have the capability of reducing the total footprint on the environment by disposing and manufacturing the computers.
One can be refurbishing and upgrading the old computers as well as servers for meeting the new requirements. One can be making an old computer along with several different types of hardware absolutely new again by the parts being reconditioned and replaced. Instead of purchasing a new computer or hardware as per different specifications, one can also invest in purchasing refurbished hardware of IT from the market itself that can be better, sustainable and cheaper as well (WCSD, 2007). A number of enterprises are there who are open for the purchases of goods that are refurbished, and there is initiation in the growth within the market dealing with refurbished equipment of IT.
From the angle of greening, re- utilizing what is already present is better way for the long duration of time for the management of resources. Speaking in the fiscal sense, one can have the potentiality of saving the flow of cash, and the expenditure of capital. If there is no suitability for these types of options or choices, one can make donations of the equipment to trade or schools or charities within the computers. Charities make an attempt of refurbishing old computers and these refurbished old computers are presented in front of those who are in need of it (Olson, 2008).
When a particular computer or equipment cannot be reused, even after there has been consideration of the prospects related to refurbishing, these computers must be disposed of in an appropriate and proper manner that is a friendly way for the environment. Majority of the unwanted electronic goods and computers end up within the landfills. With a fast growth and advancement in technologies being used by organizations across a number of industries, there has been a growth in the level of consuming e- products. In addition to this, with the passage of time, this level has only been increasing at an extremely rapid pace (Watson & Chen, 2010). E-waste, or also known as electronic waste is referred to as the discarded electronic or electrical devices. The electronics that have been used already are destined for being reused, resold, salvaged, recycled or disposed of and are also considered as e-waste. Electronic wastes being informally processed in the developing and developed nations across the globe, results in causing a number of serious issues related to pollution and health. This is due to the fact that majority of these developing nations have restricted oversight of regulation related to the processing of e-waste.
The design for the development of green computer aims on reducing the impact on the environment that is caused due to the computers by the adoption of new technologies and the utilization of new materials and techniques while maintaining a balance in the compatibility of the environment with the viability of the economy as well as the performance of the economy. In a quick manner, green design have started to become a necessary practice for a number of businesses (Williams, 2010). A number of manufacturers of computers are involved within the process in order to make green PCs utilizing materials that not or less toxic and the ones consuming less power of electricity and the resemblance of which can be done in an easy manner (Bicker, 2005). These particular types of new computers seem to be having high upgradability, thereby, where there is extension in the lifetime that is useful. There have been a number of new methods that provide contrasting view over the old methods for the improvement of performance being done by the microprocessors.
This can be done by initiating an increase in the frequency within the operation of chip that results in increasing the consumption of power at an extremely high rate and the generation of heat as well. By reducing the frequency by 15 per cent, saving can be done of approximately 50 per cent of the total consumption of power (Watson & Chen, 2010). The vendors of IT have now been making investments in resources that are a part of green initiatives in a significant manner. The vendors have been making investments for the development of servers that are efficient in terms of energy, solutions for cooling the centre of data, options of design and new materials. Since recent times, Apple, Dell, and a number of other successful vendors of computers have made an announcement regarding the newly designed environmental strategy for ensuring that the computers being manufactured are green for a longer duration of time.
Dell has been creating an aim at the new initiative of Zero Carbon in order to maximize the efficiency of energy within the products of dell, and with the passage of time, has been planning to offset the impact of carbon. As a main feature related to this particular initiative, there is a need for issuing a public report of the suppliers regarding the emissions of greenhouse gases. On the other hand, Apple has stated that it will be focused on reducing or eliminating the content of toxic chemicals that are present within the new products being manufactured and has also been focusing upon recycling the older products in a more aggressive manner (Xie, 2009). Particularly these companies have been launching new tools, setting new standards and registering new products for assisting the customers in the assessment of the environment characteristics related to servers, notebooks, PCs and a number of different category of hardware. These seem to be including Epeat, the RoHS Directive, and the Standard of Energy Star 4.0.
It is part of the issues of the environment, and this can be considered as a part of the solution. Green Information Technology is an imperative of the economy as well as the environment. Greening the sector of Information Technology is and will continuously be a basic necessity and hence, should not be considered as an option (WCSD, 2007). The green Information Technology has the tendency of representing a dramatic trend that is in the top on the priority list of the industry of IT. Until now, the industry of IT has been creating a focus on the power for processing the equipment of IT and related spending on other equipment. It does not seem to be showing concerns with a number of other needs like the space for data center, cooling system and power grid as well. However, taking a step ahead, the industry of IT needs to be dealing with each and every single requirement of infrastructure and the impact of IT over the environment and due to the related utilization.
Chapter 4: Conclusion
Based on the research conducted, it has been identified that green IT is a highly significant technological strategy having the ability to play a major role for re- engineering the processes of production and the structure of business. The main aim of green IT as identified, is the reduction of the impact being imposed by these activities over the environment (Dutta et al, 2010). There is no denial in the fact that the green practices of IT has contributed in inducing considerable amounts of savings in cost and often seem to be having a return on investment. This seems to be having a higher degree of positivity. However, it has also been identified that one of the biggest issues that are being faced by the world currently is the quantity of energy being consumed across the globe and by the humans. Based on the facts, it has been found that with approximately each and every business across the globe utilizing the technology of computer for conducting operation, the consumption of energy in the current world of industrialization has been increasing at a constant rate (Watson & Chen, 2010).
One extremely obvious way by which technology has contributed in helping the ecology, eco- system and environment of the planet is by the reduction in the need and utilization of paper. In addition to this, there is an occurrence of the impacts on induction. The impact of induction takes place if the products related to IT can help to induce increased degree of demand for having the products. In supporting the communities and infrastructure for managing the centre of data, there has been a rise in the number of evidences that there is an increased need to green up each and every practice related to saving, procuring and recycling energy. These specific needs and efforts have been found highly significant and relevant in the entire industry of IT.
In order to address the impacts that the information technology imposes over the environment, it can be stated that focus must be created on adopting a holistic approach important to address the problems along with providing four highly differentiated paths for being followed. As stated above in the research, these seem to include the RoHS Directive, the Standard of Energy Star 4.0 and Epeat (Earl, 2009). By the creation of this focus over these specific efforts in relation with the four factors mentioned above, the industries and businesses can be having the ability for the achievement of complete sustainability that favors the environment and presents the technology of green IT. By the supporting stand of infrastructure along with communities to manage the centre of data, it has been articulated regarding the paradox of technology that the disruption in environment has resulted in being brought by the economy of the industry, but the fact should not be denied that the advancements taking place in the economy of industry can be considered as being the key route to the quality of environment.
There has been an increase in the need for the maintenance of sustainability within the practices related to business activities and tasks. Hence, to boost the growth of sustainability within the economy has resulted in giving huge relevance and has been given top list of priority for all of the economies. In consideration with the same duration of time, populations and economies seems to be having continuous growth in accelerating the global rates related to consumption and production (Eisenhardt et al, 2000). Sources to live, produce, and consume sustainability and innovation are needed in order to deal with the issues present in the environment, and the ICTs will and can be playing a significant role in order to ensure these specific challenges and issues are addressed. There is no denial in the fact that the sources of government have been playing significant role in both the ways, for direct improvement in the performance of environment of the activities related to ICT, and for the encouragement of the broader application of the technologies across the economy for the improvement of performance in the environment and underpinning growth that is green.
The rule of 3 R’s has been considered as the best practices related to the management of solid waste and the stewardship of environment (Funk, 2003). The 3 R stands for reduction in what is being consumed, reutilizing until it can be used again, and at last, recycling what can be re- utilized. Each and every step has been important for minimizing or delaying materials in the entry of waste stream. This has contributed in minimizing the volume of what in return will end up becoming waste. This has contributed in reutilizing materials as long as it is within the scope of being practical. With respect to the equipment of electronics, in usual sense, this needs to be making investments with respect to labour, and partly in order to recondition and redistribute the goods and products (Elkington, 2007). The activities of reutilization helps in extending the span of life held by these materials and to a great extent, helps in reducing the new manufactured goods being consumed. The step of recycling has been identified as the last resort when re-using the items in the purpose that is originally intended being no longer an option. The processes of recycling contributes in destroying the materials for scrap material, the sale of which is done to process the facilities, who in return contributes in adding new material for reclaiming and then selling the material to new manufacturers of product.
Considering the role played by the government, there has been continuous negotiation for free agreements of trade with a number of nations for the maximum positive points of the nation, for increasing the scope of competitiveness of the business organizations and for persuading the proactive policies of marketing in both new and existing markets, so that services and goods are known widely and identified by the international customers (Harmon et al, 2009)
There are a number of programs initiated for integrating and extending the present capacity and scope of materials technology and cleaner technology for the assessment of life, design of economy, technology of green materials and recycling in order to provide support to the industries across the globe for the achievement of green design and manufacturing by the performance of several authorities for the promotion of green and clean technology across the globe (Harmon et al, 2010).
As there has been improvement in the technology at a faster rate, the old equipment that were used have been piling up at a faster pace as well. Electronic waste or E- waste is an escalating problem which has been influencing the manufacturers at an increased rate, along with having a major impact on the society and the end- users living in the society as well (Grant, 2007). There has been an increase in the implications of e- waste and regulations related to it have been becoming inevitable. When a particular equipment of electronics ends up reaching the end point of its life, it reaches the point of being e- waste. This e- waste can be differentiated from other categories of garbage and this is due to the hazardous effect. If e- waste ends up hitting the landfills, these substances have the capability of leaching the water and the soil, with potentiality of coming within the scope of being consumed by humans (Gartner, 2008). Distributors, retailers, and manufacturers should be undertaking the responsibility to recycle or dispose their own individual products. Manufacturing the monitors of computer, sets of television, and other devices of electronics that consist of hazardous materials, must be having the responsibility to educate consumers and the public in general with respect to the threat with highest potentiality being caused to the environment. At the minimum level, each and every monitor of the computer, sets of television and other devices of electronics must be having clarity in labelling for identifying the hazards of environment and proper management of materials (Funk, 2003). Perhaps, prevention of waste is more preferable towards any other option of managing waste that includes the process of recycling. Donation of electronics for re- utilization helps in extending the lives of products holding high value and helps in keeping them out of the systems for the management of waste for a longer duration of time. But considerable amount of care should be provided in the donation of these types of items that means that the items must be in a condition that they work at least.
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