Sustainability has become the buzzword in the tech world—and for good reason.
- Tech uses many natural resources, contributing heavily to global consumption—a staggering 100.6 billion metric tons annually (2020).
- Tech creates a massive amount of e-waste, a record 62 million tonnes in 2022!
- Tech is responsible for 2% to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
In honor of Earth Day on April 22, let’s discuss how we can choose more eco-friendly portable monitors. The great news is that you don’t have to sacrifice your viewing enjoyment. Products like the Mobile Pixels Trio triple portable monitor for laptops allow you to still enjoy a multi-monitor setup.
A Guide To Choosing Portable Monitors With Minimal Environmental Impact
How do you choose a quality monitor that minimizes environmental
Certification
As an organization that drives sustainability in the IT industry, TCO has strict criteria. More than 40 new Sustainability Performance Indicators (SPIs) help identify the industry’s best-in-class monitors.
What does the TCO certification guarantee? Portable monitors that pass TCO’s rigorous criteria comply with ecological standards and can prevent long-term health issues among users because of their ergonomic features.
Its latest set of standards is the Generation 9 TCO certification. It guarantees that a product employs socially responsible manufacturing processes, is free from hazardous substances, complies with all sustainability performance indicators, and generates minimal waste.
Over 3,000 products have been certified to this level. You can find them using TCO’s product finder tool.
Of course, this isn’t the only certification for electronics. Standards vary across countries, so read up on what’s relevant in yours!
Materials
Not all materials are created equal. Some have lower environmental impacts. More and more manufacturers are using recycled plastic in their production processes, decreasing the need to produce new plastic and helping conserve natural resources.
Environmentally responsible manufacturers also focus on using less paint with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are notorious for their ill effects on human health. They’ve been known to cause headaches, nausea, damage to the kidneys and liver, and more.
Other IT hardware brands use molded pulp for packaging. Aside from being better for the environment, it provides adequate insulation and protection against shock and vibrations.
Energy Efficiency
The less energy your monitor uses, the lighter the burden on our natural resources. Though the electricity it consumes per session might seem negligible, its cumulative consumption throughout its lifespan can be sizable and significant. The best way to ensure energy efficiency is by looking for models with the Energy Star label.
Monitors with the Energy Star logo are guaranteed to have lower energy consumption. They are up to 7% more energy efficient than models that haven’t been rated. When shopping for monitors, remember that more stars indicate higher energy efficiency.
Other Tips for Choosing Eco-Friendly Portable Monitors
Aside from certifications, materials, and energy efficiency ratings, here are additional ways to identify eco-friendly portable monitors:
- The more extensive your monitor, the higher your energy consumption, so don’t get a monitor that’s larger than what you need.
- Choose monitors with adjustable brightness. This offers greater flexibility in your viewing experience and lets you dim your monitor when you want to conserve power and don’t need the extra brightness.
- Read user reviews about the monitor you’re looking to buy. It may have passed several certifications, but the user experience is invaluable in assessing how it runs and delivers on its promises.
- OLED or organic light-emitting diode displays are among the most energy-efficient monitors. Because of their design, they don’t need the backlighting that other monitors do. This allows them to consume significantly less power.
- Look for a high-contrast monitor. Portable monitors with this feature are also more energy-efficient.
Mobile Pixels: Your Eco-Friendly High-Performance Choice
Portable monitors from Mobile Pixels prove that you don’t have to sacrifice performance to be kind to the environment. Our various stand-alone, dual-screen, and tri-screen options offer adjustable brightness and contrast, low power consumption, and different size options.
Our stand-alone models use OLED displays, while our dual-screen portable monitors consume only 4.5 or 7 watts of electricity, a far cry from the standard 15 to 30 watts.
If you’re looking for environment-friendly monitors that offer quality viewing, convenient portability, and maximum flexibility, Mobile Pixels are the best choice. From April 22 to April 25, 2024, you can get our portable monitors for up to 15% off. You don’t need a code to get the discount. Just finalize your purchase before our April Earth Day Sale ends.
