PISCATAWAY, N.J., USA, 30 March 2006 Assessing
the environmental impact of computer systems before
they are bought has long been a challenge for those
who purchase computer equipment for companies, government
agencies and other organizations. A new IEEE standard,
which was initiated by and developed with support
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
will help resolve this issue.
The standard, IEEE 1680(TM), "Standard for Environmental
Assessment of Personal Computer Products", will
help purchasers within businesses and other organizations
reduce the environmental impact of the computers they
buy, use and discard.
IEEE 1680 is the first U.S. standard to supply environmental
guidelines for institutional purchasing decisions
involving desktop and laptop computers and monitors.
It offers criteria in eight categories - materials
selection, environmentally sensitive materials, design
for end of life, end-of-life management, energy conservation,
product longevity and life-cycle extension, packaging,
and corporate performance.
"This comprehensive standard responds to a strong
call from purchasing agents who want consistent environmental
criteria for comparing and selecting computers and
monitors," says Holly Elwood, chair of the IEEE
1680 Working Group and Project Manager for the U.S.
EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program.
"The standard provides for a registry of products
that comply with IEEE 1680, so purchasers can find
computer products that meet their IT needs and have
less of an effect on the environment."
"IEEE 1680 will foster green product design
by setting challenging, yet realistic criteria for
environmental performance," says Larry Chalfan,
co-chair of the IEEE 1680 Working Group and Executive
Director of the Zero Waste Alliance. "It creates
mechanisms for identifying and verifying that computer
products meet these criteria without delaying time
to market. It also rewards leading product designs
by giving manufacturers a low-cost way to promote
product environmental performance."
IEEE 1680 and its product registration and verification
system are part of the Electronic Products Environmental
Assessment Tool (EPEAT), which is managed by the Green
Electronics Council under a grant from the U.S. EPA.
The council will maintain a registry of computer products
that meet IEEE 1680 criteria at www.epeat.net
starting in June 2006.
For further information on EPEAT see www.greenelectronicscouncil.org.
IEEE 1680 was sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society.
About the IEEE Standards Association The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body,
develops consensus standards through an open process that brings diverse parts
of an industry together. These standards set specifications and procedures based
on current scientific consensus. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of more than 870
completed standards and more than 400 standards in development. For information
on IEEE-SA see: http://standards.ieee.org/.
About
the IEEE The IEEE has more than 375,000 members in approximately 150 countries.
Through its members, the organization is a leading authority on areas ranging
from aerospace, computers and telecommunications to biomedicine, electric power
and consumer electronics. The IEEE produces nearly 30 percent of the world's literature
in the electrical and electronics engineering, computing and control technology
fields. This nonprofit organization also sponsors or cosponsors more than 300
technical conferences each year. Additional information about the IEEE can be
found at http://www.ieee.org/.
