Green IT, or Green Technology, is a worldwide trend concerned with the impact of technology on the environment. Its concern ranges from more efficient use of energy, resources and supplies in producing technology, to less toxic raw materials and substances in manufacturing — and on to equipment that uses less energy, does not harm the environment while it runs, and has less impact when discarded, allowing recycling and reuse.
The idea of Green IT is also growing in society, even if unconsciously, since the environment is part of everyone's daily conversation. What is really missing is for home users to realize that Green Technology can be practiced at home too, with small changes in behavior and actions that cut CO₂ emissions. That means reusing and recycling equipment, investing (when needed) in supplies with a "green label", avoiding underused systems and making the most of whatever products we own.
In the first decade of the new millennium, concern about electronic waste grew, since consumption had soared at the end of the last century — only in the early 2000s did electronic products start being discarded in large quantities. Green IT covers, among other things, complying with environmental law and assessing the environmental aspects and impacts of Information Technology activities, following and developing procedures and action plans that aim to eliminate or reduce harm to the environment.
