The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that more environmentally friendly computer equipment will be available to large volume purchasers due to manufacturers like Dell, HP and others that now have products that meet the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) standard.
EPEAT, a project funded through a grant by EPA and managed by the Green Electronics Council, promotes continuous improvement in the environmental design of electronic products and informs purchasers of the environmental criteria of electronic products. EPEAT may eventually expand to include individual consumer purchasers.
EPEAT-registered computer products have reduced levels of cadmium, lead and mercury to better protect human health and are easier to upgrade and recycle, in addition to meeting the government’s Energy Star guidelines for energy efficiency.
EPA has estimated that over the next five years, purchases of EPEAT registered computers will result in the reductions of more than 13 million pounds of hazardous waste, more than 3 million pounds of non-hazardous waste and more than 600,000 MWh of energy, enough to power 6 million homes.