MNN - Mother Nature Network

Computer companies are not generally known for their environmental bonhomie, but these days, it looks like one of them is slowly beginning to see the green side of things.

 

In June, Dell started a free recycling program. And we were pleased to learn from this TMC Net piece that Dell has just developed a program to allow customers to offset some of the energy their computers use. Here’s how it works:

 

"Through the program, a customer donation of $2 for a notebook and $6 for a desktop computer will offset carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to powering the average computer for three years. Dell will remit 100 percent of the donations received from the 'Plant a Tree for Me' program to The Conservation Fund and Carbonfund.org to be used to plant trees."

 

This is certainly a step in the right direction — we never complain when anyone wants to plant more trees. But we hope Dell doesn’t stop there. According to the Dell website, “The company's computers are manufactured one at a time, as ordered, at facilities in Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Eldorado do Sul, Brazil; Limerick, Ireland; Penang, Malaysia; and Xiamen, China.”

 

It’ll take more than one tree per customer to offset those travel miles. We’re just saying.

 

Story by Kiera Butler. This article originally appeared in Plenty in January 2007. This story was added to MNN.com in July 2009.

 

Copyright Environ Press 2007.

 

See also:

• Dell and the environment