Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)

Evaluation Tool

Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)

Tool Category

Standards, Certifications & Labels

At a Glance

EPEAT is a comprehensive global environmental rating system that helps purchasers identify greener computers and other electronics. It is an easy-to-use resource that combines strict, comprehensive criteria for design, production, energy use and recycling with ongoing independent verification of manufacturer claims.

Tool Website(s)

www.epeat.net

Tool Owner/Sponsor

Green Electronics Council

Product Stage of Life Evaluated

Raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, consumer use, end of life

Tool Description

EPEAT currently includes rating criteria for PCs and displays, imaging equipment and televisions.

Manufacturers can add their electronic products to the EPEAT global registry by declaring that the products meet specific criteria contained in a public standard, IEEE 1680 (IEEE Standard for Environmental Assessment of Electronic Products). There are 8 main categories of criteria: reduction/elimination of environmentally sensitive materials; materials selection; design for end of life; product longevity/life cycle extension; energy conservation; end of life management; corporate performance; and packaging.

Some of environmental criteria evaluated by EPEAT are required, while others are optional. According to the number of criteria met, manufacturers can achieve 3 ratings of environmental performance:

• Bronze. All registered products must meet the required criteria, and achieve Bronze status.
• Silver. Meets all required criteria plus at least 50% of the optional criteria.
• Gold. Meets all required criteria plus at least 75% of the optional criteria.

Product Categories

Electronics

Tool Requirements

Manufacturers add their products to the registry by declaring that the products meet specific individual criteria of IEEE 1680. Product declarations are not pre-certified; however, registered manufacturers must be able at any time to produce upon request the required supporting evidence spelled out in the IEEE standard. In order to maintain the credibility of the system, EPEAT periodically selects a batch of products and criteria from the registry and verifies that they meet the criteria as declared. 

Cost of Tool

The IEEE 1680 standard costs $80 for non-members. Manufacturers participating in EPEAT pay annual fees based on a sliding scale that correlates to the manufacturer’s revenue in the device category in which they wish to register products. The subscription allows unlimited product registrations. The 2015 fee ranged from $1,550 to $152,000.

Evaluation Frequency

Not applicable. Due to rapid product turnaround in the electronics market, EPEAT stakeholders determined that ongoing, randomly timed surveillance was the best way to identify if the standard's requirements were not being met.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: Retailers can see at a glance which manufacturers and products are registered with EPEAT.

Weaknesses: There is the potential for manufacturers to misrepresent products in the hope that they will not be randomly audited. EPEAT thinks this is unlikely due to the strong "embarrassment" factor of such a public exposure.

Examples of Retailers That Use It

Apple, Microsoft, Tesco, Nike

For More Information

Call 503-279-9383 or fill out contact form: www.epeat.net/contact/