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Acer has been developing and improving its environmentally focused Vero laptop line for more than a year A few years nowand its latest Vero 16 ups the eco-friendly challenge, on paper at least, with a body the company claims is made from 70% post-consumer plastic and “bio-based oyster shell material.”
Acer aims to make the laptop carbon neutral throughout its lifecycle and disposal by using as many recycled and eco-friendly materials as possible in the Vero 16, accounting for its carbon footprint, and using “high-quality carbon credits to achieve carbon neutrality.”
Obviously, the actual carbon footprint of a laptop will vary greatly depending on how much you use it and what tasks you perform while using it. Someone who deals mostly with email and basic documents a few hours a day and replaces the laptop in a couple of years will have a very different profile than someone who edits videos and games several hours every day and keeps the laptop for five or six years.
Additionally, the entire concept of carbon offsets for consumer products is debatable. But it’s still nice to see a company offering a product that uses more recycled, innovative, and eco-friendly materials. The Vero’s keycaps and power adapter cover are also made from 50% post-consumer recycled plastic. Acer’s press materials also state that at least 3% of the laptop’s palm rest and bottom lid are made of oyster shell material. Unlike previous Vero laptops, the surface texture this time around is noticeably smoother, and closer to what you’d expect from a typical laptop.
Aside from its environmental claims and distinctive exterior design, the Vero 16 (AV16-71P) appears to be a fairly standard laptop. It is powered by Intel Core Ultra 7 200H CPU with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage. Battery life is estimated at 10.5 hours, with a 1920 x 1200 display and a 1440p webcam with a privacy shutter. Acer says the chassis is MIL-STD-810H certified and is designed to be easy to repair — both features that also look good for its carbon footprint.
If a more sustainable laptop design is important to you and you like the look of the Vero 16, Acer says it will be available in April starting at $799 in the US and $1,099 in Canada.
