EPEAT

Verification 2011-06 Outcomes Report Published

saraho — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:54:25 +0000

The Outcomes Report for Verification Round 2011-06 has been published and can be found here. This was the largest verification round to date with 100 investigations started and completed.

Laptop: Certification Program Would Force Apple, Others to Make Ethical Gadgets

saraho — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:47:08 +0000

Lately, Apple has been taking a lot of heat for the harsh working conditions at its suppliers’ factories. The same week that Apple announced its record-smashing $46.3 billion-revenue quarter, the New York Times rained on Tim Cook’s parade, publishing an article that accused his company of ignoring deadly safety violations at the plants that make its popular products. In the wake of these allegations, some have called for a public boycott or increased oversight, but the sad truth is that Apple is only the most visible offender, not the worst offender.

Users need a better way to find out who made their gadgets and under what conditions so they can vote with their wallets. A voluntary logo program in the style of the current EPEAT environmental ratings would give companies incentive to improve conditions and consumers to do the right thing. Full article

EPEAT’s Impact

saraho — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:07:06 +0000

Bucking the Co2 emissions trend

saraho — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:56:18 +0000

Let’s face it – it was depressing to read about the record jump in carbon emissions in 2010. In part, the emissions rate reflected recovery from the worldwide recession – a good thing – but real increases in the use of fuel- and electricity-consuming technologies played a role as well.

As the global population grows, billions of people around the world are accessing consumer goods previously limited to small numbers in developed nations. The carbon impacts from those billions of products – including information and communications technology – are multiplying at an ever-increasing rate.

IT can enable major emissions reductions – through contributions to transport efficiency, improved design, reduced materials consumption and more. And the shrinkage of individual products does undercut the increase in users , as people use smartphones today to perform tasks that used to take a bulky desktop. But as electronic devices proliferate at an astonishing rate and the impacts of their production, use and disposal mount, we can’t afford to dismiss the environmental impact of hardware.

Reducing ICT’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions will depend on increasing the efficiency of production and operation, and vastly expanding recycling to minimize emissions from mining and manufacturing. And that’s where EPEAT can help.

EPEAT helps users select energy efficient electronics. Criteria addressing upgrades, availability of spare parts and warranties support a longer useful life for products. Other criteria address changes that make products easier to recycle, so more material can be recovered and reused – and also reward inclusion of post consumer recycled content. And required recycling services ensure that large purchasers’ products are available for parts and materials recovery at end of life.

The news about Co2 emissions growth is sobering – choosing ‘greener’ ICT through EPEAT is one way individuals can act to buck the trend.

Financial Channel: PC Makers Going Greener

saraho — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:33:38 +0000

The FINANCIAL — It’s often said that a PC can consume more power than an incandescent light bulb. The good news is that newer PCs, particularly laptops and modern desktops, tend to consume considerably less, according to Microsoft .

However, a PC’s environmental impact doesn’t end with the energy it consumes over its lifetime — how it’s manufactured, the materials used and even the packaging all figure into a PC’s total environmental footprint.

That’s why manufacturers today are looking at a range of ways to reduce the impact and lighten the load technology places on the environment. From the software to the circuitry, all the way through how the PC is handled and shipped, the tech industry today is constantly looking for ways to make the PC ecosystem greener.

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This year several manufacturers are coming out with a new crop of innovative greener PCs, including those that have been EPEAT rated. Check out the slide show below for a glimpse of some of the best.

Full article

Green Chip Stocks: American University Sustainability

saraho — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:23:00 +0000

Why American University Is A Leader In Sustainability

By Shawn Lesser
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

American University is located right in the nation’s capital – Washington DC. Because of Washington DC’s recognition as a leader in the clean technology and sustainability movement in the United States, American University has long believed that it needs to do its part to bolster Washington DC’s status as not only the capital of the United States, but also the capital of sustainability. … Listed below are just a few of the sustainability initiatives at American University.

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2 ) Administration. The administration at American University has adopted a number of policies regarding different aspects of sustainability, including green cleaning, green building, zero-waste, and sustainable purchasing policies. The administration also makes certain that the university only purchases electronics and appliances that are Energy Star Certified. As well, the university only purchases EPEAT Gold Certified computers, and recycled paper towels and toilet paper. The administration also created a Clean Energy Revolving Fund to finance new sustainability projects.

Full article

Belmont Citizen Herald: What to do with e-Waste?

saraho — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:19:08 +0000

Belmont, Mass. —

The United States is the world leader in producing electronic waste – obsolete electronics such computers, TVs, monitors, cell phones, PDAs, VCRs, CD players, fax machines, printers, etc. The EPA estimates as much as 60 million metric tons enter landfills every year. Most electronics contain some form of harmful materials such as beryllium, cadmium, mercury and lead, all significant threats to the environment. …

At the other end of the cycle, consult epeat.net to find electronics manufacturers who offer green products, that validate greener designs and cleaner production.

Full article

Chickens and Eggs

saraho — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:14:27 +0000

Since I came to EPEAT nearly five years ago, I’ve fielded probably a hundred calls and more emails from individual consumers saying something like “Your program is really helpful – but why can’t I find EPEAT in stores when I’m looking for a greener computer?”

We’ve had significant success with online retailers providing EPEAT ratings info – and I usually point consumers toward sites that enable search using EPEAT ratings, like Amazon.com, Best Buy for Business, Tech Depot, Buy.com.

We’re very happy that those e-commerce sites help green-minded consumers use EPEAT, but it’s still a workaround. And there’s still a chicken and egg problem here – manufacturers and retailers worry that consumers don’t care enough about electronics’ environmental impact to move the needle on buying behavior. But consumers can’t easily find environmental information, so they don’t have a real opportunity to include it in their purchasing decisions. So round and round we go…

Over the course of 2012, EPEAT will be teaming up with interested OEMs and retailers to move beyond this stalemate. Working together, we hope to develop ways to present EPEAT product rating information in stores that make it easy to understand, digest and use for decision-making. Some of that will be cosmetic – what sort of look and feel will attract and inform consumers best; some of it will be substantive – what impacts and endpoints do people respond to most strongly; and some of it will be simply awareness – how can we make the green checkmark so familiar that it becomes a natural, actionable part of product presentation?

I’ll be sharing more as this work goes forward. But for right now, if you’re buying electronics – online or in-store – and you’re asked to do a survey, we’d be grateful if you’d take five minutes and help us learn more!

Sarah O’Brien

Apple Insider: New Power Cables will make Apple products even more eco-friendly

saraho — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:04:39 +0000

Apple’s focus on creating “green” products has inspired its power and USB cable supplier, Volex, to switch to more environmentally friendly materials.

Volex will spend up to $6 million this year to produce halogen-free power cables that are less harmful to the environment when disposed, according to London Evening Standard (via GigaOm). The company will design and make new cables and will suffer a one-time cost as a result.

The report said the change is as a result of a “green push” by Apple. For years Apple has designed its products with the environment behind, and usually highlights the EPEAT, or Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, ratings of products at highly publicized keynotes. Full article

Clarification #10 Revision Published

saraho — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:12:38 +0000

It was brought to EPEAT’s attention that Clarification #10, which was very specific, could be expanded and made more general. The revised clarification expands the original clarification.