• Compucon takes the lead by rejecting or deferring technologies that are energy inefficient. A good example was the promotion of the cool and efficient Pentium III Tualatin processors in preference to adoption of the hot and inefficient Pentium 4 processors in year 2002 and 2003 timeframe.
• Compucon has been following the developments of big electricity ticket components such as the CPU, graphics cards and memory and provide measures to provide a balance between performance and energy saving. For example, Compucon provides a spare ventilation fan that can be disconnected if the PC has few components and connected if the user adds components such as a discrete VGA card to the PC later on.
• The power supply unit (PSU) of the PC is another component that can waste energy. Compucon is taking steps to use PSU with improved efficiency. (updated May 2008) The standard 550W PSU for Workgroup, Platinum & Vanadium server in the standard Compucon case is rated at 75% efficiency and 650W is rated at 80% at typical loading
• A lot of computers idle such as in the evening. Whilst we do not recommend that they be turned off and on daily, we recommend that the monitors and displays be turned off when not in use. We will progressively introduce measures to cut down automatically computer component activities when idling.

Compucon encourages corporate customers to donate their used computer equipment to schools particularly those not properly funded for Information & Communication Technology infrastructure and teaching curriculum. Some schools are renting computer equipment that may be in their 4th, 5th or older years for a substantial amount. While the renting is a legal business transaction, some schools have been paying a lot more than they need to. Older computing equipment serves another use- training tools for our younger generation. A book has written that Michael Dell was impressed by what he saw of the inside of a PC in 1984 and the incidence inspired him to become a top business man out-selling other PC makers.

Compucon is happy to facilitate the donation and allocation process, and to arrange votes of public thanks to the donors in conjunction with the beneficiaries.

We are looking at a “disposal program” by which non working computing equipment can be disposed of in the most safe and economic manner.

Update 21 November 2008
Computerworld New Zealand has reported that Australia has launched its FIRST automated recycling plant for e-waste which will salvage up to 20,000 tonnes of IT equipment from landfill.  The Sims recycling plant, opened Wednesday in Sydney, will reduce monitors and circuit boards into basic components such aluminium, copper, silver and gold to be shipped to overseas sites for further processing.  We have the impression that New Zealand does not have this type of recycling plant yet at this stage.

Update 19 June 2010
Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith is reported on the New Zealand Reseller News as saying that "The Ministry does have serious concerns about the way in which the waste from eDay last year was exported without the proper permits."  The trust's recycling contractor has been charged with breaching electronic waste export regulations.  The company has been impacted financially and there were concerns it could go bankrupt before disposing of last year's waste. "If we are going to go through all that effort to collect all that e-waste, I think we need to have some confidence that it is being appropriately disposed of."

Dr Smith said he was interested in looking into whether New Zealand could mine its own e-waste instead of exporting it overseas. "It would be my preference that we're able to recycle and break down our e-waste in New Zealand, if it was at all possible."

• The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) was adopted in February 2003 by the European Union and took effect from July 2006. It is a directive. This directive restricts the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment.
• Lead
• Mercury
• Cadmium
• Hexavalent chromium (Chromium VI or Cr6+)
• Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
• Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)

• Platinum 1U/2U Server: 6015B, 6025B since Oct 2006
• Platinum DXB Server & Workstation: Chassis W201 since July 2004, X7DAE & X7DBE since Oct 2006, W203 since June 2007
• Vanadium Server & Workstation: H8DA8, H8DAE, H8DCE since Oct 2006, H8DME & H8DAE2 since Aug 2007, W201 & W203 as above
• Workgroup SX Server: PDSME+ since Oct 2006, X7SBE since Jan 2008, W201 & W203 as above
• Superhawk & Thunderbird: Chassis 5409 since July 2004. 5411 inclusive of PSU since June 2007, Motherboard 187A, 187B & 1AP5KE since June 007
• Diamond & Jasper: Motherboard M2NPV since Nov 2006, P5GC-MX since Dec 2007, Chassis A201 since July 2004, A214 inclusive of PSU since June 2007, 1VNA since September 2007 

In addition, the packaging material polystyrene used for protecting Compucon systems in transit is also RoHS compliant.  (Update April 2010) The foam materials do not contain PVC and have been tested in laboratory as compliant with RoHC.

(Update September 2008) A Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology has written to the Engineering & Technology magazine to point out that RoHS has produced a negative effect on the environment.  In lieu of lead, the electronic industry has stepped up the use of tin. 

(a) Tin is mined mainly from deposits in tropical rain forest areas.  There is an increase in the destruction of valuable rain forests.

(b) The melting point of lead-free alloys is about 30C and higher than that of leaded alloys.  Electricity consumption has increased for soldering, and this leads to increased carbon emission.

Radio Communications (Compliance) Notice 2004

Level of Conformity 2: Where a product is in a class to which level of conformity 2 applies, then, prior to supplying the product, the supplier must ensure that the product conforms to an application standard and

1. must label the product with a compliance mark and the supplier's supplier identification and
2. a product description and
3. a test report or manufacturer's performance specification or a certificate issued by another administration

(Note: Level 2 applies to Information Technology equipment. Level A1 applies to Radio Products such as wireless mouse)

Radio Communications (EMC Standards) Notice 2004

Table 1- Australian and New Zealand Standards
AS/NZS CISPR22 for Information Technology equipment, or
Table 4- European Standards
European Norm EN- 55022 for Information Technology equipment

Code of Practice- EMC Requirements for Assemblers of Personal Computers

Where a supplier assembles a PC using compliant and labelled sub-assemblies, which are installed in an effectively screened metal case, the device is deemed to comply with the standard. Testing the finished product against the standard is not required unless requested by the Ministry where reason exists to doubt effective compliance (e.g. interference may have been traced to operation of the PC). The complete PC should be labelled with the compliance mark. PC assemblers need to register as suppliers with RSM for approval to use the C-Tick compliance mark.

• QMII 05/24/01 Vigilant of the currency of legal requirements. Maintain a copy of the current legal requirements in the office as stated in QMII 01/04 Reference. Reproduce the key points in the sub-section for ease of reference.
• QMII 05/24/02 Initiate the procedure as outlined in the sub-section for computer systems whenever we introduce a new System Model for confirming compliance. Otherwise, carry out the procedure every 6 months. Rectify discrepancies immediately
• QMII 05/24/03 Initiate the procedure as outlined in the sub-section for sub-assemblies whenever we import a new item for confirming compliance.
• QMII 05/24/04 and 05 For any Compucon branded equipment made by third parties, obtain an EMC test report from the original equipment manufacturer and ask the manufacturer to confirm that the test report is applicable to our brand.