April 2, 2007—Officials from the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Federal Environmental Executive on March 21 recognized computer manufacturers for making more environmentally preferable computers and monitors that meet the new EPEAT green computer standard.
Seven of the fifteen manufacturers of EPEAT-registered computer products participated in the recognition event: Apple, NEC, Dell, Sony Electronics Inc., HP, Toshiba, and Lenovo.
President Bush (Executive Order 13423) recently mandated that at least 95 percent of federal agency computer purchases meet requirements of the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). The Green Electronics Council (GEC) oversees EPEAT implementation.
Compared to traditional computer equipment, all EPEAT-registered computers have reduced levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury to better protect human health and the environment, explains GEC. They are more energy efficient, which reduces emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases. They are also easier to upgrade and recycle, adds GEC. In fact, manufacturers must offer safe recycling options for EPEAT-registered products.
All EPEAT-registered products meet 23 required environmental criteria, including US Energy Star and European RoHS requirements. The 28 optional criteria are reportedly used to determine if a product receives EPEAT-Bronze, Silver, or Gold recognition.
A list of the almost 400 EPEAT-registered products from 15 manufacturers and additional details on the EPEAT program are available online.
