Buying Green Computers: Innovation and Effectiveness Through Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Eric Friedman Massachusetts Director.

Buying Green Computers:

Innovation and Effectiveness Through Electronic Products Environmental

Assessment Tool (EPEAT)

Eric FriedmanMassachusetts Director of State Sustainability

&Member of EPEAT Development and Implementation Teams

September 28, 2005

Today's Talk

● Environmental and health impacts of computers

● Options ● EPEAT as a procurement & market

based solution● What next

● Technology is cleaner than manufacturing

● Smaller means less waste

● Few health or environmental impacts from use

The Computer Promise

• Less Paper Use

• Efficiency and speed

• Simplicity

The Computer

Reality

● Per capita paper consumption in 748 lbs in U.S. vs. 25 lbs. in India and China.

● Paper consumption has increased six-fold over the past 50 years.

● Computers and office equipment use electricity = 7 million households each year

● CO2 emissions equivalent to 6.4 million cars on the road

● Silicon Valley has 29 Superfund sites - more than any other area in the country

● 18 are tied to the computer chip industry

● A 2 gram-32 megabyte microchip needs 72 grams of chemicals, 32,000 grams of water, 1,200 grams of fossil fuels

Manufacturing Impacts

Toxic Impacts

A traditional computer contains– 4 lbs of lead in CRT– Mercury, in batteries,

switches– Cadmium in chips,

semiconductors– Brominated flame

retardants on plastics, cables, circuit boards

Potential Impacts – Central nervous system

– Child brain development

– Kidneys

– Endocrine system

Accumulates in food chain through releases during manufacture, incineration and other disposal

Material Impacts

Computers weigh about 40-60 lbs and contain on average

14 lbs of plastic

12 lbs of iron

8 lbs of aluminum

4 lbs of copper

# of computers worldwide rose fivefold to over 500 million since 1988

Approx 75% of U.S. computers in basements, garages

Need for new equipment now every 2-3 years

Disposal Impacts

40% of heavy metals in landfills from electronics

Emissions and leachate into surface and ground waters

Costs localities millions to handle

Fewer than 10% are recycled

Over 50% of computers destined for recycling in U.S. End up overseas

Common overseas practices include: Open burning of plasticsRiver dumping of acidsManual extraction of metalsNo protective gear for workers

1) Regulatory Initiatives

2) Manufacturer Voluntary Efforts

3) Institutional Specifications

4) Multi-Stakeholder Market Based Solution

Possible Solution Include

Regulations…

● May create local maze

● Place burden solely on

manufacturers

● Do not necessarily reduce toxics in

manufacturing

● May not encourage innovation

Voluntary Efforts

•No consistency across manufacturers

•How to determine which computer is greener

•Manufacturers control agenda and verification

Institutional Specs

• Computers are global and not produced for local markets

• Differing criteria difficult for manufacturers

• Thousands of institutions to convince

•But each has problems…

Market Based Solution – EPEAT

The Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool is

a multi-stakeholder process that is working to design and implement a

simple and easy-to-use tool for evaluating the environmental

performance of electronic products.

How EPEAT Will Work

1. Manufacturers submit products via web based system2. Meet minimum set of criteria to be EPEAT approved3. Receive points to be approved at higher levels4. Standard Covers toxics, energy, materials, longevity, end

of life, etc. 5. Products certified at one of three levels6. Buyers access website to identify which products are

certified at which level and specify EPEAT certification7. Sample products verified by EPEAT organization each

year

System works like a hybrid of EnergyStar and LEED

Why EPEAT Will Work

1) Multi-Stakeholder Approach• up-front buy-in

2) Comprehensive Environmental + Health• toxics, materials, energy, end of life

3) Flexible• minimum + optional criteria, variable rankings

4) Market Based• uses buyer demand, encourages competition

5) Simple & Consistent• same criteria for everyone / national standard

6) Independent & Credible• Transparent and independent

EPEAT’s Next Steps

● Interviewing possible host organizations● Hoping to be up and running in 2006● Looking to be the green standard for

institutional computers ● Potential to move to additional electronic

products and/or consumer market

In the Meantime…

● Ask OEMs about their environmental programs● Ensure that computers are recycled properly –

conduct due diligence on where computers end up● Upgrade equipment instead of buying new● Use LCD screens instead of CRTs or avoid new

monitors entirely● Purchase only EnergyStar computers and make sure

they are activated● Education to users about computer impacts● Ask for EPEAT computers when available

For More Information…

www.EPEAT.net