EPEAT Expands Registration Capacity with Global Alliances

Portland, OR; Chicago, IL; Guangzhou, China; Northbrook, IL; Offenbach am Main; Stuttgart:
EPEAT® (www.epeat.net), the definitive global environmental rating system for electronics, today announced that four certification and testing organizations with global reputations for technical excellence – DEKRA, Intertek, UL Environment and VDE —will participate as trust providers in the EPEAT system. Following organizational on-boarding, these Product Registration Entities (PREs) – will work directly with manufacturers to register products in the EPEAT system and to verify their environmental attributes.

“Ramping up capacity through alliances with these superbly qualified organizations enables EPEAT to scale rapidly to meet demand for greener products around the globe, and supports the ongoing credibility of the EPEAT system,” said Robert Frisbee, EPEAT’s CEO, “We were fortunate to have highly qualified applicants for this role, and we couldn’t be more pleased with this initial group of partners.”

The PRE group announced today includes some of the most experienced certification and testing organizations in the world (see below). These organizations worked with EPEAT to flesh out the unique certification model laid out in IEEE 1680, which enables products to be registered against environmental performance criteria and strictly monitored after registration. Expanding oversight capacity as the system grows, maintaining stringent verification, and providing cost effective solutions are all keys to EPEAT’s next step toward global capability.

“In today’s complex global value chain, ongoing assessment is critical to the success of efforts to design more sustainable products and services,” said Jeff Omelchuck, EPEAT’s Executive Director of Registry Services, “Expanding the EPEAT system through this collaborative network will ensure effective support and surveillance of manufacturer and supplier claims in this very fast-changing market sector.”

As the PRE organizations come on line, EPEAT is evolving from a system where verification is centralized and performed by EPEAT to one where EPEAT global partners provide the direct link to subscribers for registration and verification. EPEAT, Inc. will increasingly focus on managing the network of PREs and promoting EPEAT to purchasers and consumers as an easy and reliable way to identify greener electronics.

“This is a great step forward in the resources we provide to purchasers and manufacturers to forward the goal of greener electronics. We are excited about this team, and look forward to ongoing expansion to meet global opportunities for a greener planet,” said Frisbee.

Participating PRE Organizations

DEKRA SE currently operates in more than 50 countries, with over 27,000 employees committed to ensuring long-term safety, quality and environmental protection. The DEKRA Business Units “Automotive”, “Industrial” and “Personnel” provide services in the fields of vehicle inspections, expert appraisals, international claims management, consulting, industrial testing, product testing, certification, environmental protection, qualification, and temporary work. In 2011 DEKRA generated sales totaling around 2 billion Euros.

“For an increasing number of purchasers in public authorities and companies, the environmental performance of a product is an important decision criterion”, explains Dr Gesa Köberle, Head of DEKRA Consulting GmbH. “To the extent that we confirm conformance with the objective, transparent and strict EPEAT standards, we also support the expansion of the standard and ensuring manufacturers of green products are rewarded for their efforts in the marketplace”.

Contact: Tilman Vögele-Ebering +49 (7 11) 78 61 – 21 22 Tilman.Voegele-Ebering@dekra.com

Intertek is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers’ products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace. Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 33,000 people in more than 100 countries around the world. Visit www.intertek.com

“Our customer’s marketplace is a combination of global and local requirements. Well known comprehensive environmental procurement specifications such as EPEAT have seen a significant global acceptance.” states Dr. Ruud Overbeek, Vice President of Intertek Health and Environment. “EPEAT’s recognition of Intertek as a global trust partner demonstrates our ongoing leadership and commitment to health and environment standards in the electrical and electronics markets.”

Contact: Joel Pekay Sales and Marketing Director, +1 312 906 7716 joel.pekay@intertek.com

UL Environment, a business unit of UL, works to advance global sustainability, environmental health, and safety by supporting the growth and development of environmentally preferable products, services and organizations. UL Environment helps companies achieve their sustainability goals – and help purchasers, specifiers, retailers, governments, and consumers find products they can trust. UL Environment offers environmental claim validations, multi-attribute product certifications, environmental product declarations, indoor air quality certification, product emissions testing, organizational sustainability certification, and consulting.

“UL takes great pride in its 117-year legacy of building trust in the global marketplace, so, naturally we are pleased to have been selected as a trust provider in the EPEAT system,” said Angela Griffiths, Ph.D., head of operations at UL Environment. “Third-party registration and verification of environmental claims, particularly in the electronics industry, is critical. We look forward to working with manufacturers of greener computers and electronic equipment to help them communicate their products’ environmentally-preferable attributes.”

Contact: Rachel Belew Public Relations + Communications +1 678 548 7889 RBelew@greenguard.org

VDE (Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik, Informationstechnik e.V) Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies based in Germany operates the VDE Testing and Certification Institute as a well-known testing and certification body, internationally active for over 90 years, and accredited by multiple organizations worldwide. The VDE Institute provides premium services regarding safety, usability as well as EMC and operates a chemical lab, to cover environmental regulatory material requirements and the sustainability aspects of electronic products.

“We are proud to be able to work as a satellite PRE for EPEAT. It is a great opportunity for us and our customers and a great step forward in sustainable product evaluation methods. We are looking forward to the cooperation with EPEAT,” said Wilfried Jäger, Managing Director of the VDE Testing and Certification Institute.

Contact: Bernd.Franke@vde.com +49 69 8306-277