Bridging the information gap: material tracking and consumer labels to encourage sustainable computing

A major barrier to encouraging sustainability in the computer industry is the absence of accurate information on material flow through the industry supply chain. We propose a system for developing, sharing, and communicating information about the material contents and energy use of computers and other electronic devices. The simplest electronic components will be analyzed for content of materials of interest, and the component will be entered into a computer database system. Companies assembling larger devices from a number of components will use the database system to indicate which subcomponents they use, and the computer system will generate an entry for their new product by adding up the material contents of each subcomponent in the supply chain. Eventually this system will be able to estimate the complete contents of any electronic product on the market. The computer system will also include metrics for the recyclability and environmental hazards posed by different materials. This data could be used for many purposes. A "production facts" label could provide consumers with information about a computer's potential environmental impact and recyclability. This will help consumers put market pressure on the computer industry to develop more sustainable products by facilitating side-by-side comparisons.