Buying Green Computers: Innovation and Effectiveness Through Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)

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Buying Green Computers Innovation and
Effectiveness Through Electronic Products
Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)

• Eric Friedman
• Massachusetts Director of State Sustainability
• Member of EPEAT Development and Implementation
  Teams
• September 28, 2005

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Today's Talk

• Environmental and health impacts of computers
• Options
• EPEAT as a procurement market based solution
• What next

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The Computer Promise

• 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

The Computer Reality

• Technology is cleaner than manufacturing
• Smaller means less waste
• Few health or environmental impacts from use

• Less Paper Use
• Efficiency and speed
• Simplicity

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Manufacturing Impacts

• 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

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Toxic Impacts

• Potential Impacts
• Central nervous system
• Child brain development
• Kidneys
• Endocrine system
• Accumulates in food chain through releases during
  manufacture, incineration and other disposal

• 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

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Material Impacts

• 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

• 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

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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

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Possible Solution Include

• 1) Regulatory Initiatives
• 2) Manufacturer Voluntary Efforts
• 3) Institutional Specifications
• 4) Multi-Stakeholder Market Based Solution

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• Voluntary Efforts
• No consistency across manufacturers
• How to determine which computer is greener
• Manufacturers control agenda and verification

• But each has problems

• Regulations
• May create local maze
• Place burden solely on manufacturers
• Do not necessarily reduce toxics in manufacturing
• May not encourage innovation

• Institutional Specs
• Computers are global and not produced for local
  markets
• Differing criteria difficult for manufacturers
• Thousands of institutions to convince

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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.

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How EPEAT Will Work

• Manufacturers submit products via web based
  system
• Meet minimum set of criteria to be EPEAT approved
• Receive points to be approved at higher levels
• Standard Covers toxics, energy, materials,
  longevity, end of life, etc.
• Products certified at one of three levels
• Buyers access website to identify which products
  are certified at which level and specify EPEAT
  certification
• Sample products verified by EPEAT organization
  each year
• System works like a hybrid of EnergyStar and LEED

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Why EPEAT Will Work

• Multi-Stakeholder Approach
• up-front buy-in
• Comprehensive Environmental Health
• toxics, materials, energy, end of life
• Flexible
• minimum optional criteria, variable rankings
• Market Based
• uses buyer demand, encourages competition
• Simple Consistent
• same criteria for everyone / national standard
• Independent Credible
• Transparent and independent

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EPEATs 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

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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

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For More Information

• www.EPEAT.net