Consumer will pay more for green computers

According to a study commissioned by Greenpeace International in Amsterdam, consumers are willing to pay extra for environmentally friendly PCs. Consumers also believe that computer manufacturers – not users, retail shops or governments – should be held responsible for dealing with hazardous waste from PCs.

The study, which was conducted in nine countries, found that from half to three-quarters of consumers are willing to ante up for clean PCs. The percentage of those willing to pay more for green ranged from 54 percent in Germany to 84 percent in Thailand. In the Philippines it was 62 percent, in Poland 65 percent, in Britain 68 percent, in Mexico 78 percent, and in China 81 percent.

The reasons given for discarding PCs including the following: 38 percent said it was out of date, 27 percent said it was broken, 20 percent claimed software requirements necessitated a new purchase, and 18 percent wanted improved functions. As for the overriding factors in selecting a computer, 76 percent cited performance, 54 percent looked at cost, 13 percent noted environmental considerations and 18 percent said brand name.