Green Saturday at CES

Green Saturday refers to today's midday program produced jointly by the Consumer Electronics Association and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to promote good environmental practices and recognize companies that have been particularly green this year.

Companies have been manufacturing less toxic products, largely in response to a European Union directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances. It requires that products sold in the EU be nearly free of six hazardous materials: lead (the biggest culprit), mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

HP, for example, has retooled its DeskJet 6940, ScanJet 5590, and PhotoSmart R817 printers to comply with these regulations. Europe's pro-environment stance helps the rest of our sorry selves, in that these companies will now sell these greener products elsewhere in the world as well.

A few companies and nonprofits ran consumer electronics recycling programs. For example, you can take old rechargeable batteries to a local Radio Shack, which in cooperation with The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, will recycle them for you.

If you want more information on e-cycing, as they called it, check out these Web sites:

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation lets you find a drop-off location near you.

HP provides information on how to recycle printing supplies.

The EPA's Plug-in to Ecycling web page has more educational type information on how to recycle electronics.