Apple's recent attempt to make friends with Greenpeace thanks to slightly more ecologically sound production methods for the MacBook Air was not the only eco-conscious announcement at the show this week.
Notebook case manufacturer Brenthaven has decided that "Zero Impact" stands for a few things - zero (literal) impact on your laptop thanks to quality cases, zero impact on your health because they're ergonomically designed and - and here's the interesting bit - zero impact on the environment through sustainable business practices and offset schemes.
I have to admit that carbon offsetting does tend to have the ring of cop-out about it - "oh, it's okay that I'm using a polluting manufacturing process because I planted a tree!" - but I do actually think that Brenthaven is trying somewhat harder than that, especially as the ultimate aim is to "give back more to the environment than we take away in the production and transportation" of Brenthaven products, a laudable aim indeed.
Specific practices that will be undertaken to acheive those aims include reducing packaging by over 100,000 boxes per year, making the switch to biodegradable or recyclable plastic bags, printing all marketing materials on recycled paper with soy-based ink, investing 5% of profits into green projects and making purchases on the Brenthaven website offset with carbon credits, so that every buyer is effectively getting a carbon-neutral case.
Over the coming year, eco-conscious buyers will be able to select from twelve new designs that will implement these aims.
For more news from Macworld Expo 2008, check out our Gadget Shows category.
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