Popular Science has a fantastic article on its site that details what laptop-makers could do to create their products far more eco-friendly. The piece covers a range of ideas, from chopping the toxic chemicals typically used in the manufacturing process to incorporating a photovoltaic cell into the design, to reduce the system’s power consumption from the grid.
Here’s one example, but read them all at Popsci.com:
PROBLEM: Petroleum-filled plastic
SOLUTION: Make cases from corn
New bioplastics—plant-based polymers—require less oil and energy to produce than traditional plastics. One challenge: upping heat resistance so electronics won’t melt them. Fujitsu makes a laptop with a half-natural, half-conventional case and is now testing a castor-oil plastic that’s up to 80 percent bio-content.