Audio Equipment

The last several years have seen an increase of green audio equipment. As with other high-end consumer goods, the challenge is to design a product that serves two masters—creating goods that are energy-efficient and environmentally responsible, while also ensuring that performance is at a high enough standard to satisfy demanding customers. Because the initial cost of green audio equipment is likely to be higher than equipment of similar performance, the assumed customer base consists of people who already purchase high-end audio equipment, and those consumers have exacting standards.

As with cell phones, audio equipment can be designed to encourage consumers to recycle rather than dispose of the goods. Components can be built to break down easily in processing so that metals and chemicals do not become ...