Those regulations will prompt changes in corporate IT policies, says Joe Wilcox, an analyst at JupiterResearch in New York. "If disposal is an extra cost, then it's a problem that someone has to solve," he says, adding that economics will move companies to demand toxin-free components. "If they can dispose of it easier because there are no potential toxins, then that's a benefit they can appreciate," Wilcox says.

But companies have been slow to adopt wholesale policies to foster green computing. That's because sustainable computing requires more than new products. It demands changes in IT policies and user behaviors, as well as cooperation across departments. And it's tough for IT organizations to deal with those challenges when they're already occupied by day-to-day demands, Wilcox explains.

Still, there is progress. Rosen says government policy requires him to buy Energy Star-compliant computers, which are more energy-efficient than those without the designation. Fanara says he is seeing similar requirements in other organizations.

But Rosen acknowledges that many IT departments don't feel the need for green policies if the CIOs aren't held responsible for the energy costs or disposal fees. "It's one of those issues that spans groups, [so] everyone thinks it's someone else's problem to deal with," he says. "What happens in a lot of places is that nobody pays attention to it until the CFO gets the bills and starts jumping on everybody."

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