Together with Restarter Dave Lukes, we interviewed environmental journalist Maxine Perella about changes announced by the European Commission to "eco-labelling" of laptops and portable computers. Eco-labelling has traditionally focused on energy consumption during the use phase, leaving out the impact of manufacture. The EU's eco-labelling schemes are voluntary, and before this change, very few laptop manufacturers were opting in. We ask about the influence of a voluntary standard - and the role of consumers to make "eco" choices. As an IT professional, Dave hints that companies could be interested in the standards, especially as they help define the ease of upgradability of laptops. And Maxine suggests that public sector procurement could be a way of promoting eco-labelled products. We then go through the criteria, which include some really welcome design standards that will help us repair.

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