Earth Day is April 22

This Earth Day is a great time to reevaluate our use of computer equipment. Each year, we generate more than five billion pounds of computer waste, and in 2007, more than 40 million computers were dumped.

Rather than discarding your computer and contributing to our growing waste problem, why not hold on to the one you have? Much like a car, with proper maintenance and tuning, a computer can last a lot longer. And tuning your PC will not only keep it out of landfills—our research shows that a tuned PC will also lower your energy bill, helping both you and the environment.

That innocent-looking PC can significantly contribute to your household's energy use. iolo Labs researchers estimate that the energy savings that result from PC tune-ups are $111 a year per computer. With an average 2.3 computers in every household, this can add up to a significant $255 saved every year. And by keeping your current PC in good running condition for longer, you'll also save hundreds on the cost of new equipment.

Here are our eco-friendly Earth Day tips for your computer and office:

• Run PC tune-ups with System Mechanic. A healthy PC uses energy much more efficiently. Regularly run PC tune-ups, and enjoy a faster computer with a significantly longer lifespan. (Also check out our PC spring-cleaning tips.)
  
  
• Recycle printer cartridges. Often printer cartridges end up in a landfill, but there are many recycling programs out there. Check with the manufacturer of your printer cartridge.
  
  
• Conserve paper. Only print documents if you have to. And get the most out of the paper that you have used: use the back side for notes and scrap paper before recycling.
  
  
• Turn off your screensaver. Screensavers consume as much energy as a screen in use. Turning off the screensaver can save you from $25 to $75 a year on energy costs, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
  
  
• Turn off your monitor. Monitors use a lot of electricity, roughly a third of the usage for your entire system. Configure your monitor's sleep feature to automatically power down when you're away from the computer (look for "Power Options" in the Control Panel). And this standby mode still uses some energy, so at night or when you'll be away from your PC for awhile, manually turn off your monitor.