There are new voluntary standards to help institutional computer buyers make environmentally preferable purchases. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is designed to help public and private sector buyers "evaluate, compare and select computer desktops, laptops and monitors based on their environmental attributes."
According to the EPA, "representatives from state and local government, the electronics industry, manufacturers, academia environmentalists, and purchasers, developed the new standard with EPA support. The standard was approved through the IEEE standards consensus-based process and recognized by the American National Standards Institute." The project is funded through a grant by EPA and managed by the Green Electronics Council.
Among the criteria used in the evaluation (there's much more detail on the site):
Reduction or elimination of environmentally sensitive materials (like mercury and batteries)
Materials selection (referring to how much postconsumer recycled plastic is used)
Design for end of life (whether the component can be shredded or recycled)
According to the site, the EPEAT system has been in development for more than three years. Manufacturers can register their products in late May of 2006, and the product registry will be viewable and searchable by purchasers in June of 2006.
The site also has a list of federal and state IT RFPs that have referenced EPEAT.
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