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Looking for the most eco-friendly laptops for work, school, or even gaming? We made a list of the best sustainable laptops of 2024 from the world’s top tech brands, ahead.
And just in case you have no idea why green laptops are so important, we’ve gathered some info on the tremendous impacts of e-waste as well.
P.S. If you’re looking for a place to trade and sell old electronics, don’t forget to check out 7 Epic Reasons To Trust Gizmogo To Trade And Sell Old Electronics!
If you are looking for one of the best sustainable laptops of 2024 to proudly display on your work desk or any other eco-friendly furniture that floats your working boat, you are in luck!
The tech industry has finally decided to address the tremendous issues of e-waste with stellar alternatives to energy-consuming, plastic-packed models of the past without forgoing performance or quality.
Green laptops are packed with the same top-tier hard drives, processors, graphic cards, etc, BUT they also feature easily-replaceable, energy-efficient components and recyclable eco-friendly materials.
The best part? All our favorite brands are on board with this sustainability-focused plan. From Lenovo and Apple to Asus, each of them carries a slew of TCO-certified, environmentally friendly laptops that are lightweight, high-performing, and green-minded!
But why opt for environmentally friendly laptops? What’s the deal with regular tech? And what the heck is the TCO certification? Don’t fret. We have all the answers to your tech-related questions.
How does a laptop impact the environment?
The hard reality is that our tech is actively harming the environment. 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed of worldwide every year. This is equivalent to throwing out 1000 laptops every single second.
These devices are chock full of mercury, lead, chromium, and other heavy metals which end up in landfills, releasing toxins and contaminating the groundwater. However, what’s labeled as “e-waste”, in reality, is not waste at all.
On the contrary, the most frequently disposed items are electronic equipment or parts that can easily be reused for refurbishing and or recycling!
But only about 12.5% of e-waste is currently recycled which is a shame given that by recycling 1 million laptops, we can save energy equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 U.S. homes in a year.
That’s A LOT! Sadly enough, e-waste is still the fastest-growing municipal waste stream in America, according to the EPA.
What are the benefits of using eco-friendly laptops?
- Green laptops are equipped with energy-efficient components that minimize the use of energy.
- Some tech companies use recycled plastic from landfills to craft their sustainable laptops which minimizes waste and repurposes already existing materials.
- The most eco-friendly laptops are made from aluminum and glass with no cadmium, lead, or mercury. Plus they are 100% recyclable!
- Due to the modular and easy-to-upgrade/fix design, users can boost the performance of their devices without having to opt for brand-new models.
- Lastly, many tech companies offer trade-in recycling programs to reduce the pollution caused by the extraction and processing of virgin materials.
What does TCO Certified mean for laptops?
TCO, originally created by the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees, is currently “the world’s most comprehensive sustainability certification for IT products.”
In order for a company to receive this sustainability certification for their green laptops, they have to meet certain social and environmental sustainability criteria throughout the eco-friendly laptop’s life cycle based on the ISO 14024, Type 1 Ecolabel – from raw materials to production, use, disposal, and recycling.
That’s exactly why the best sustainable laptops of 2024 come with multiple certifications, including the TCO.
The Best Sustainable & Environmentally Friendly Laptops For School, Work & Gaming
1. Secondhand Laptops
Much like sustainable fashion, secondhand laptops are the best way to ensure that your new tech-packed device does not take any additional toll on the environment.
The manufacturing process of computers and laptops involves a slew of materials such as plastic.
And we already know that plastic production accounts for 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Now if you add cobalt and silver to the mix which requires carbon dioxide-heavy mining and coal (the typical power of choice in Chinese factories), you’ll quickly realize that the environmental footprint of a laptop is extremely high.
In fact, 214 kilograms of CO2 are released during the manufacturing process of a single laptop.
So to put it simply, the most eco-friendly laptops are the ones sold second-hand!
Where To Find Secondhand Laptops:
2. Refurbished Laptops
Consider a refurbished laptop as a secondhand laptop on steroids.
For some reason, previous owners decided to return their almost-new laptops, so why not give them a brand-new life?
Retails, manufacturers, or just tech pros are collecting used laptops and treating them to a serious upgrade cleaning and inspecting them, of course.
Once the restoration part is completed, these upgraded laptops are sold at a lower price than their brand-new counterparts.
While they might not be the most environmentally friendly laptops because new parts are added to make them perform better, they are still more sustainable than creating a brand-new laptop from scratch.
Where To Find Refurbished Laptops:
3. Lenovo TCO Certified
Lenovo is one of the most sustainable tech brands on the market that doesn’t shy away from putting their sustainability report on full display every year.
Currently, there are 73 options listed as TCO Certified eco-friendly laptops on Lenovo’s catalog including their top-selling ThinkPads, X1 Carbon, and ThinkPad L Series.
The latter is hailed as the best sustainable laptop of 2024 boasting low energy consumption and 30% post-consumer recycled materials.
These green laptops were one of the reasons why Lenovo received the 3-Leaf Certification by Green Freight Asia in 2020!
So it’s safe to say that if you need a semi-professional or highly professional sustainable laptop designed for upgrade and recycling, these options are for you!
Price: From 599+
Ethics: Greenguard Certified, Ul Environment Certified, Energy Star Certified, 2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, energy-saving, recycled materials, recycled program for repurposing plastic
4. Apple Macbook
The sleek and minimal look of Apple MacBooks is definitely an added bonus, but the true innovation lies in the brand’s numerous sustainability initiatives.
Most devices are crafted from recyclable and, sometimes, recycled metals and glass instead of plastic.
You can use their trade-in recycling program to retire your old devices and get a pretty sweet cash-back bonus to use for other Apple products.
Apple’s most eco-friendly laptops are energy-efficient and completely free from all heavy metals.
The MacBook Pro 16-inch green laptop, for example, uses 65% less energy than the limit suggested by ENERGY STAR® and it is estimated to produce as low as 394 kg of carbon emissions from production to recycling.
Price: From 999+
Ethics: Powered by 100% renewable electricity, carbon-neutral operations, recyclable & recycled materials, energy efficiency, recycling program for e-waste
5. Asus
Did you know that Asus was the first company to create a carbon-neutral notebook, a completely halogen-free motherboard, and received the ISO 20400 Sustainable Procurement Certification for implementing sustainable supply chain management? Yes!
Asus makes some of the most popular Energy Star-compliant and TCO-certified eco-friendly laptops on the tech market.
In fact, the 8 certified products are easily reparable and exceed the energy-efficiency expectations by 26%.
Not many companies in the top-tier sector manage to blend quality and sustainability, but Asus is a prime example of how you can have both in one eco-conscious tech device.
Price: From $479.99+
Ethics: LEED Platinum Green Building Certification, 100% Energy Star compliant, zero waste to landfill validation, replaceable modular components
6. Acer Eco Friendly Aspire Laptop
Acer’s Aprise is the company’s most eco-friendly laptop to date!
Made from post-consumer recycled plastic that saves around 21% in CO2 emissions, this green laptop welcomes quick repairs, and upgrades, and is 100% recyclable.
Even the keycaps, top and bottom cover, screen bezel, and operating surface feature PCR.
The smart battery management app takes energy efficiency to whole new heights and you can easily upgrade the system yourself in order to eliminate waste.
It’s no wonder why it’s touted as one of the most sustainable laptops of 2024.
Price: From $629.99+
Ethics: Recycled plastic material, energy-saving, recyclable & repairable, 100% recyclable packaging
7. Dell TCO Certified
Dell Latitude E52702017 may be the brand’s greenest laptop, but the TCO Certified options are so many!
The company thrives on creating energy-saving eco-friendly laptops all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in their facilities.
Each and every component is easily replaceable, which limits tech waste and they meet the strict criteria for energy efficiency and ergonomic design.
Additionally, the company started to use reclaimed carbon fiber from aerospace applications in 2021 and introduced bioplastics along with many more sustainability initiatives.
Price: From $879+
Ethics: Renewable energy, easily repairable, energy saving, free from heavy metals, sustainable packaging
8. HP TCO Certified
HP’s most eco-friendly laptops are not only TCO Certified but also easily repairable and downright stylish.
The Elitebook and ProBook series are by far the most sustainable laptops that come with free user-accessible repair documentation to help you DIY your way around any future repairs which is pretty awesome.
What’s even more impressive? They are the first-ever company to use“ocean-bound” plastics collected from the ocean, waterways, etc!
Also, they managed to reduce the energy consumption of their personal systems by 44% and promise to upgrade their facilities to 100% renewable electricity by 2035.
Price: From $1,409+
Ethics: Member Of The Responsible Mining Initiative, recycled ocean-bound plastic, easily repairable
9. Fujitso TCO Certified
Even though new to the sustainability sphere, Fujitsu’s 3 green laptops are TCO Certified and the company publishes their environmental and sustainability report pretty regularly.
Their Lifebook-certified sustainable laptops are easily repairable and come with detailed guides on how to fix or upgrade your tech which is a big bonus.
Apart from their slim and ultralight design, the laptops boast low energy consumption, and eco-friendly materials even though they still haven’t swapped PVC and BFRs for sustainable alternatives.
Price: From $1295,59+
Ethics: Member of JEITA, energy saving, strong sustainability plan
10. Iameco Wooden Laptop
The pioneers at I Am Eco have been teasing their new sustainable laptop for quite a while and it’s finally happening!
Frustrated by the tremendous e-waste, the company set itself on a mission to craft the most eco-friendly laptops with modular designs and interchangeable parts made from wood.
They claim that their tech will run about three times longer than other products.
Their green laptops use one-third less energy than traditional models and instead of petroleum-based plastic, the company opted for natural ash, maple, and beech harvested from sustainable forests for the laptops’ construction.
The result? d4r laptop requires 75% less water during production compared to other laptops and achieves a 70 percent reuse and recycling rate.
Price: $945
Ethics: Natural & sustainable materials, energy saving, resource-efficient production, easily recyclable, modular design
This was your full guide to sustainable laptops!
From take-me-everywhere “books” to powerful gaming models and everything in between, the aforementioned brands offer the most eco-friendly laptops on the eco market.
Green laptops are not only energy-saving but also crafted from eco-conscious materials that don’t put an extra toll on the environment.
Plus, even if you aren’t a pro, the best sustainable laptops of 2024 come with detailed, reader-friendly instructions to help you fix and upgrade your device in order to prolong its life which is ah-mazing!
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