Iameco wins Irish Energy Globe Award for sustainable PCs

Irish sustainable PC manufacturers iameco have received national recognition for their business concept, picking up the grand prize at the Irish finals of the Energy Globe Awards, which highlight products from around that world that aim for a more sustainable future.

The company has been attempting to create more environmentally-friendly and sustainable cases for laptops to negate the ever-growing issue of e-waste, which is rapidly increasing worldwide as more consumer products enter the market.

Almost all of today’s commercial PCs are manufactured using precious metals. According to a UN report released last April, the world effectively threw away US$52bn through e-waste.

Iameco’s laptop, the d4r, is manufactured from wood recycled from industrial pallets and furniture off-cuts, and includes a universal motherboard to allow the connection of good quality used parts and components from discarded corporate computers.

With this approach, iameco say that the production of the laptop – when compared with a standard laptop – sees a 75pc reduction in CO2 emissions and a 75pc reduction in fresh water use, with 98pc of the used material recyclable or reusable.

Likewise, hazardous materials were reduced and no paints or glues are used in the manufacture process.

The national prize is part of the wider Energy Globe Award organisation, which encompasses more than 170 participating countries and which receives over 1,500 project submissions annually.

The awards distinguish projects on a regional, national and global basis, and reward those that conserve resources or utilise renewable or emission-free sources.

Ahead of the award ceremony in Vienna, Austria, the panel of judges who voted for iameco said of the product: “This year’s National Winner of the Energy Globe Award in Ireland developed a ‘green’ computer in order to reduce, reuse and recycle computer waste, reduce CO2 emissions and fresh water use. Congratulations for your achievement!”