Although there are a range of laptop trolleys currently on the market claiming to be environmentally friendly, schools need to take care to look beyond the green spin to select a solution that is truly sustainable. For example, although many plastic constructed laptop charging carts may claim to be good for the environment, a large number of plastic products involve the use of scarce fossil fuels that the planet is quickly running out of.

Of course some plastics can be reused, but many are made with additives to suit the product that they are created for, and these will, over time, prevent the material from being recycled. When plastic is able to be used again, the process of separating and recycling is incredibly expensive and time consuming. In many cases, this is why supermarkets urge their customers to reuse, rather than recycle, their plastic carrier bags each time they shop.

Laptop trolleys constructed of 70 per cent recycled steel, have not only already been recycled, but can be recycled again when the cart is no longer of use. Metal laptop trolleys are also likely to be far more robust than their plastic counterparts, meaning that they are able to cope better with the wear and tear in classroom use. As a result, metal laptop carts are likely to last much longer than those made of plastic or wood and will need replacing less often. In this way, a school's carbon footprint can be reduced because the energy used in the manufacturing process will only need to take place once, rather than every time a school needs to replace a plastic solution.

Although careful consideration should be given to exactly what materials a charging trolley is made of, schools also need to look at the design of a laptop cart to ensure that it is truly environmentally friendly. Some metal laptop trolleys are constructed with a modular design to enable them to be upgraded when the school's needs change. Modules can be swapped if a school purchases new laptops, if they purchase more equipment, or even decide to switch to tablets or include a printer inside the laptop cabinet. Such laptop trolleys are designed to last the test of time and are thus better for the environment than 'throwaway' laptop trolleys that have to be disposed of when they are no longer fit for purpose.

In addition to this longevity, modular laptop charging carts can also be supplied with power saving features to help reduce energy consumption. Modular laptop trolleys that use pre-configured charging cables are designed to shut down the power to laptops once they are fully charged, helping to save energy, energy bills and laptop battery life. This highly intelligent system shuts down the power as soon as, and only when, a laptop needs it, meaning that energy is not wasted by overcharging the devices, as may happen with laptop trolleys using timers.

With the Government's carbon targets fast approaching, schools need to start thinking about how they can reduce their energy consumption in their new ICT purchases now to ensure that they comply with regulations. Laptop trolleys and laptop charging carts may often claim to be environmentally friendly, but schools must ensure that they look beyond the 'marketing speak' to determine if a product is truly 'green'. Metal laptop trolleys with power saving devices are energy efficient in both material and design, and schools should look to these charging cabinets in order to reduce their carbon footprint.

V.Cole

http://www.lapsafe.com/solutions/laptop-charging-trolleys