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EPEAT
EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool), applies to desktop
computers, notebooks and monitors, and is designed to help buyers "evaluate,
compare and select... [products]... based on their environmental attributes."
EPEAT compliance is based on an IEEE standard, IEEE 1680-2006. It defines 51
criteria in eight different areas, including reduction of environmentally
sensitive materials, with RoHS compliance as one of the required items in that
area, and energy conservation, with Energy Star compliance as a required item.
Areas Included in EPEAT
EPEAT is notable for covering an unusually wide range of issues. Just to
give a sense of that range, here's a list of the six areas beyond the two
already mentioned, with an example of each: materials selection (requires a
declaration of post-consumer recycled plastic); design for end of life
(requires a minimum of 65 percent of reusable and recyclable materials);
product longevity and life extension (requires upgradability with "common
tools"); end of life management (requires a product take-back service),
corporate performance (requires an environmental management system for design
and manufacturing organizations); and packaging (requires separable packing
materials).
If nothing else, this list of areas EPEAT covers should at least give a
sense of its comprehensiveness.
EPEAT Rankings
One other key bit of information about EPEAT is that there are three levels
of EPEAT ratings. EPEAT Bronze means the product meets all 23 of the required
criteria. Silver means it meets all 23 plus at least 50 percent of the optional
criteria, for a minimum total of 37 out of 51. Gold means it meets all required
criteria plus at least 75 percent of the optional criteria, or at least 44 of
51.
RoHS
Variously pronounced row-hoss, R-O-H-S, ross, rowsse, rosh, or
rose, RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) is the EU's directive for
the restriction of the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic
equipment. Basically, an RoHS-compliant product meets the EU's limits on levels
of lead, cadmium, mercury and other substances that you don't want dumped into
the environment.
About RoHS
It's important to know that being RoHS-compliant doesn't necessarily mean
that a given product has none of the hazardous substances covered by the
directive. In addition to exemptions for specific uses that don't currently
have any alternatives, there are also permissible maximums "which allow
for any trace presence." Before you send a product off to a landfill at
the end of its useful life, make sure it really doesn't have any hazardous
substances, RoHS-compliant or not.
Blue Angel
The Blue Angel eco-label, a German certification, has a 30-year history, with the certification being awarded to products ranging from abrasives to wall paint. Monitors, printers, desktop computers, notebooks and even paper for printing can all qualify. The requirements for Blue Angel depend on the category. For monitors, for example, the Basic Award criteria include ergonomic design, good recyclability and a lack of pollutants in the plastic casing. For printers, the criteria include low energy consumption, low noise levels and the ability to use recycled paper.
Areas Included in EPEAT
The Blue Angel eco-label, a German certification, has a 30-year history, with the certification being awarded to products ranging from abrasives to wall paint. Monitors, printers, desktop computers, notebooks and even paper for printing can all qualify. The requirements for Blue Angel depend on the category. For monitors, for example, the Basic Award criteria include ergonomic design, good recyclability and a lack of pollutants in the plastic casing. For printers, the criteria include low energy consumption, low noise levels and the ability to use recycled paper.
