Tech devices used by billions of people every day are dramatically changing the face of the world as we know it. Apart from the business world, where computers and similar devices are almost more important than people, those changes are affecting every single aspect of our lives. Only this year, the number of sold computers has exceeded 102 million [real time source]. Aside from all the benefits those devices provide for the humankind, their production and use leave a significant carbon footprint. Here are some innovative solutions that should make them greener in the time to come.
Green plastic
Today, computer parts are made of plastic. It is easily produced and does not cause any high expenses for manufacturers. However, its most obvious downside is its excessive resilience, which makes it decomposable in nature. If you throw a plastic bottle on the ground, it might never decompose; the same goes for the computers people throw to bins. This is why scientists are working on biomass plastic. This material is made from degradable organic elements, such as starch from corn, sugarcane and oils derived from plants. It is already getting wide popularity and it is definitely going to be used in the future as an eco-friendly surrogate for good old (but harmful) plastic.
Plant charging
Due to a growing demand for faster and more efficient phone charging, energy experts have added a new wrinkle to support higher energy efficiency. The trigger of this idea was the fact that every plant converts the energy it receives from the Sun and the water into chemical energy, stored in organic compounds, such as carbohydrates. Scientists have discovered that some bacteria can decompose those compounds and generate energy for your phone.
Smart printing
Although 3D printing has been with us for a few years, it still has not been given any particular commercial purpose. On one hand, it is already used in medicine, when patients need special tissues or parts that cannot be made in a traditional way, such as 3D printed skin for those with fire burns. Also, 3D printing should cause prices of medical services to drop.
On the other hand, scientists expect that this kind of production will be available for home use, too. For instance, printing jackets from recyclable materials would be a great contribution to the environmental preservation. Therefore, if you want to get ready for this printing revolution, you will need to find smart laptop deals, so as to obtain powerful machines that will make a perfect match with cutting-edge 3D printers.
Solar bags
Given the fact that that the Sun has always been with us, it sounds unbelievable that, in 2016, we still treat solar energy as something innovative that is yet to be developed. Luckily, things are happening much faster now. As a result, today you can add a modern laptop charger bag to your laptop and charge its low battery with the energy received from the Sun. That way, you will not consume and waste any electric energy, making your laptop a self-sustainable device.
Wooden components
It goes without saying that wood can be used for dozens of different purposes. However, it has never been considered suitable for computers. A team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has managed to turn wood into a semi-conductor, which qualifies this material to become a source for making computer chips. In the future, this could replace plastic, resulting in completely green computers and parts, which would be an enormous contribution to global ecology.
If we think rationally, we can see that every device we possess can be used in an eco-friendlier way. With all the scientific announcements regarding green features for our devices, we can expect bright, green technological future.
Guest article written by: Dan Radak is a marketing professional with ten years of experience. He is currently working with a number of companies in the field of digital marketing, closely collaborating with a couple of e-commerce companies. He is also a coauthor on several technology websites and regular contributor to Technivorz.
We will need eco-friendly materials and emissions for our mass manufacturing and support of billions of people.