IEEE Okays First U.S. Standard To Help Purchasers Buy More Environmentally Friendly Computers

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."

SOURCE: IEEE