Green IT Review: EPEAT green IT sales grow by 30% in a year

In 2011, sales of EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) registered ‘greener’ electronics products increased by almost 30% to 120 million. The environmental benefits of over conventional products resulted in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 1.6 million US cars off the road for a year, cutting out the use of mercury equivalent to over a million thermometers, and reducing solid waste by more than 50,000 metric tons, equal to more than 75,000 US households’ annual trash.

EPEAT is the green electronics rating system based on the IEEE 1680 family of Environmental Assessment Standards. The programme evaluates computer desktops, laptops and monitors on 51 environmental criteria (including compliance with Energy Star efficiency specifications) and awards EPEAT Bronze, Silver or Gold certification. The organisation’s product registry lets purchasers view and compare the specific environmental performance of registered products from all participating manufacturers.

EPEAT now covers 41 countries, 45 participating manufacturers and more than 3,600 environmentally preferable electronic products. International sales of certified products grew by 40% in 2011, particularly in Europe, Asia and Latin America, compared with 23% growth in the US, which still constitutes over half of the global total.  Full article