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4 4 P P a r t I : a r t I : T r e n d s a n d R e a s o n s t o G o G r e e nr e n d s a n d R e a s o n s t o G o G r e e n

The reason is obvious—money. Although datacenter managers want to save the
environment, they also want to save money. In fact, it’s the old business adage that says to
be successful, you have to save money and maintain performance. In other words, they’re
worrying about another type of green.
The truth of the matter is that, yes, adopting a green infrastructure can cost more money
up front, but you can save thousands or even millions of dollars (depending on your
organization’s size) by making some changes.
Although spending that money up front can be a hard pill to swallow, think of it this
way—if we don’t make meaningful changes, we’re contributing to our own downfall. Let’s
look at the components.

Toxins
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans throw out more
than 2 million tons of consumer electronics annually, making electronic waste (also known
as e-waste) one of the fastest growing components of the municipal waste stream. When
these electronics break down, they release mercury and other toxins.
E-waste is a concern because of the impact of its toxicity and carcinogenicity when
components are not properly disposed of. Toxic substances can include:
• Lead
• Mercury
• Cadmium
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

A typical computer monitor may contain more than 6 percent lead by weight, much of
which is in the lead glass of the cathode ray tube (CRT). Components such as capacitors,
transformers, and PVC insulated wires that were manufactured before 1977 contain dangerous
amounts of PCBs.
We don’t mean to frighten you to the point that you never upgrade your computers
again. Far from it. You should upgrade, but with environmental responsibility in mind. The
good news is that e-waste processing systems have had such a light shone on them recently
that they are being forced to—forgive the pun—clean up their acts. More regulation, public
attention, and commercial consideration are being paid to the issue.
A major portion of this change is that e-waste is being handled separately from conventional
garbage and recycling processes. Far more computers are being reused and refurbished than
they were at the turn of the century.
There are lots of benefits to reusing equipment:
• There is less demand for new products and their use of virgin raw materials.
• Less water and electricity is used when reuse lowers the need for the production of
new products.
• Less packaging is used.
• Redeployed technology is available to more sectors of society, because computers
and other components are often more affordable.
• Less toxins are going into landfills.