Your Money: Battling the power beast

‘GREEN’ ELECTRONICS: A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS?

Our multibillion-dollar love affair with gadgets carries an environmental cost.

Most guzzle power, contain toxic chemicals and are tossed out shortly after the next model debuts. But being environmentally smart doesn’t have to mean going off the grid and moving in with Grizzly Adams.

As consumers, you have a range of options, starting with tools to help you cut energy costs by better managing the power consumption of your TVs, computers, cellphones and other gizmos. You also can ask the right questions when buying devices. Manufacturers are starting to make it easier for shoppers to compare green attributes.

And what happens to the gadgets when they’re no longer wanted? Americans toss out 400 million devices each year, less than 13% of which are recycled, according to the Electronics TakeBack Coalition.

Eco-friendly devices are trickling into the market these days, but they’re not spilling off store shelves. It will take some time before companies build environmental factors into all of their product designs. Until then, read on for tips on giving your gadgets a green makeover.