Everything we do has some kind of impact on the environment. Apple has been at the receiving end of some dedicated campaigning by Greenpeace. It has attacked Apple claiming it uses hazardous materials in its Macs which other manufacturers have abandoned. Whether this is true or not is best left to Greenpeace and Apple, but here I present a 5 point plan so that you can minimize the impact on Mother Nature.

1. Turn off computers at night. I know all the BitTorrent fans would probably despise me if I suggest this. But hey, if not all the time, turn off your laptops/desktops atleast 3 days a week if not less.

2. Cut down unnecessary printing. I am guilty of printing stuff that I generally don’t need. If you really need to print, use double-sided printing and most importantly recycle all waste paper.

3. Recycle everything that can be recycled such as cartridges, CDs and DVDs.

4. Dispose of equipment responsibly. Donate your old Mac/PC to a less power hungry user, or list it on eBay or even give it back to the manufacturer. Either way there exist plenty of ways to dispose old computers responsibly.

5. Buy equipment responsibly. Check the energy efficiency of the kit you buy. LCD monitors are less power-hungry than CRT displays. Try to buy from a manufacturer that offers a recycling plan, it will help in fulfilling points 3 and 4.

What do you do?