The Aspire Vero is an important step in that direction. It is designed with sustainability in mind, in terms of both the manufacturing of the product, as well as its shipping and end-cycle disposal. In fact, the company has even committed a part of the profits earned from this product, towards supporting the U.S.-based global nonprofit, National Geographic Society, in its work to protect our world through exploration, research, and education.
This approach toward sustainability and environmentally conscious business practices can be witnessed straight from the start with this particular model. The laptop chassis itself features up to 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. Similarly, the laptop screen bezels also feature 30% PCR plastic, while the keycaps have another 50% of the same. In this way, not only does the company save on material costs, but also prevents carbon emissions that would have resulted from the production process for those plastic materials.
This doesn’t mean that the company compromises on quality either, as even the recycled plastic is carefully selected for its balance of durability, rigidity and aesthetics. This results in a high-quality build and finish, which doesn’t even need any special coating to make it look refined and sophisticated. In fact, the company goes out of its way to avoid using any paint, by simply using yellow pigment dots to contrast with the textured grey surface. This gives the laptop a unique character, while also saving on painting costs and emissions.
What does make this laptop stand out from a design perspective, is a small topographic map, which divides the laptop’s surface into land and sea. Opening the laptop further reveals the iconic National Geographic yellow border logo, which has been printed directly onto the bottom right corner of the keyboard. In yellow print on the spacebar lies the message, “For Planet Earth.” This completes the signature look of this model and marks it different from other offerings from this lineup of products.
The internals though remains similar to other products from the Aspire lineup. You get 11th Gen Intel processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics. You can pair them up with the standard RAM and SSD configurations available. As part of the company’s commitment to sustainability, these configurations can also be upgraded by the users themselves, thanks to a simple design that features standard Phillips-head screws for easy access. This is another way in which Acer is trying to reduce its carbon footprint while making its products more reliable and reusable.
This commitment to sustainability can even be seen in the laptop’s packaging, which has been designed to be a multipurpose box that can be repurposed after users get their devices set up. This special packaging features up to 85% recycled paper, plus a 100% industrial recycled plastic(PIR) laptop sleeve and an additional sheet of 100% PIR plastic that sits between the laptop’s display and keys.
This just goes to show how committed the company remains to the cause of becoming an environmentally conscious business. You can support them, and the National Geographic Society, in this endeavour by purchasing this laptop at a starting price of around EUR 899.