May 17, 2006—A new voluntary performance standard has been established to help large computer buyers make environmentally sound purchases. The standard has been established to help purchasers reduce the environmental impact of desktop and laptop computers and monitors they buy, use, and discard.
The new standard offers criteria in eight categories: material selection; environmentally sensitive materials; design for end of life; end-of-life management; energy conservation; product longevity and life-cycle extension; packaging; and corporate performance.
The new standard is the IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association) 1680TM “Standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products.” IEEE 1680 and its product registration and verification system are part of the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), a project funded through a grant by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and managed by the Green Electronics Council (GEC).
Representatives from state and local government, the electronics industry, manufacturers, academia environmentalists, and purchasers developed the new standard with EPA support. The standard was approved through the IEEE standards consensus-based process and recognized by the American National Standards Institute.
The GEC will maintain a registry of computer products that meet IEEE 1680 criteria, starting in June 2006. GEC will verify that the information provided by manufacturers is accurate and up-to-date.
For more information, visit the EPEAT Web site.
