Acer Aspire Vero

Mean, green, eco machine

- CHRISTIAN GUYTON

SUSTAINABILITY is an undeniably tricky issue for the PC hardware industry. Mining the resources needed to manufacture computer components has a significant environmental impact, and those components are shipped around the globe in pollution-spewing cargo ships and heavy goods vehicles. Then there’s the energy usage; powerful PCs glug down electricity and spew out heat, with crypto mining proving to be a significant contributor to global CO2 emissions.

One eco-friendly laptop isn’t going to fix everything, but that doesn’t mean it can’t try. Acer has pulled out all the stops to produce its first super-green computer, the Aspire Vero. Every aspect of the Vero’s design has sustainability in mind—the outer casing is made of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics and the keycaps are 50 percent PCR. The chassis is paintfree to reduce manufacturing pollution. Even the packaging uses recycled paper and cardboard.

Partnering up with UK-based charity Ecologi, Acer is ensuring that 100 trees are planted for every Vero sold, carbonoff-setting the production process. They’re also running a program that allows you to donate your old device when you register your Vero, at which point they will clean and repair it before sending it off to tech non-profit Computers 4 Charity.