POLICIES FOR GREEN COMPUTING AND E-WASTE - THE ROMANIAN CASE -

Computers today are an integral part of individuals’ lives all around the world; but unfortunately these devices are toxic to the environment given the materials used, their limited battery life and technological obsolescence. Individuals are concerned about the hazardous materials ever present in computers, even if the importance of various attributes differs, and that a more environment‐friendly attitude can be obtained through exposure to educational materials. In this paper, we aim to delineate the problem of e-waste in Romania and highlight a series of measures and the advantage they herald for our country and propose a series of action steps to develop in these areas further. It is possible for Romania to have an immediate economic stimulus and job creation while moving quickly to abide by the requirements of climate change legislation and energy efficiency directives. The costs of implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy measures are minimal as they are not cash expenditures but rather investments paid back by future, continuous energy savings.