EPEAT® Green Electronics Rating System Expands to Singapore
New Country Addition Brings EPEAT Coverage to 41 Countries in All
PORTLAND, Ore. & SINGAPORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The EPEAT® green electronics rating system added a 41st country today – as Singapore became the first new country to join the system following international expansion in August 2009. With the country-specific green product ratings available today, EPEAT now offers purchasers in Singapore a clear and impartial way to assess the environmental performance of computer hardware and displays.
“Growing interest in environmental issues and greener products among end users made Singapore a strong candidate for addition to the EPEAT system’s country coverage,” said Jeff Omelchuck, Executive Director of EPEAT. “We look forward to helping customers and manufacturers use EPEAT to identify the best-in-class green IT products available in Singapore.”
EPEAT is the most extensive and influential environmental rating systems for electronics, with a registry of over 1,000 products and more than 40 participating manufacturers worldwide, from global giants to small integrators. Last summer’s expansion enabled IT purchasers in the US, Canada, Europe, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Mexico to compare and select environmentally preferable products based on their environmental performance in their countries. Now Singaporeans have that same ability.
“The EPEAT system offers Toshiba a clear and impartial way to assess and communicate the strength of our environmental design initiatives,” said Hidemi Murata, Managing Director of Toshiba Singapore Pte Ltd, which has registered the first EPEAT Gold-rated products in Singapore. “Toshiba is very proud to be part of this very first country addition to the EPEAT international registry. We will continually develop and incorporate new technologies into our products that ultimately demonstrate our commitment to sustainability.”
The EPEAT system evaluates electronic products according to three tiers of environmental performance: Bronze, Silver and Gold, based on 51 environmental criteria. Key benchmarks include elimination of toxics, design for recycling, extended product longevity, increased energy efficiency, packaging waste reduction, and takeback and recycling services.
EPEAT is a purchasing requirement for all US Federal Agencies, and is integrated into hundreds of government, education, health care and enterprise IT contracts worldwide. Additional standards are currently under development for Imaging Equipment and Televisions,. EPEAT is also gaining recognition in the consumer space – for example, Amazon.com recently added EPEAT information to its electronics listings.
See www.epeat.net for manufacturer list, purchaser profiles, EPEAT criteria, environmental benefits and a searchable database of registered products.
About EPEAT®:
The EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) program evaluates desktops, laptops, and displays based on 51 environmental criteria developed through an extensive stakeholder consensus process supported by US EPA and established as the IEEE 1680 standard. The EPEAT system is managed by the Green Electronics Council, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Portland, OR.
Compared to conventional products, all EPEAT-registered computers have reduced levels of toxics to protect health and the environment. They are more energy efficient, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. They are also easier to upgrade and recycle. Manufacturers must offer environmentally responsible recycling options for all EPEAT-registered products sold on contract. For more on EPEAT criteria and qualified products, see www.epeat.net.
About Toshiba
Established in 1875, Toshiba Corporation is a global high technology product leader with 315 major subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. Toshiba Singapore Pte. Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. Its Singapore-based Computer Systems Division (CSD) is the regional headquarters for South and Southeast Asia. In addition to notebooks under the Qosmio, Satellite, Satellite Pro, TECRA, PORTÉGÉ and libretto product brand names, the company also offers portable and wireless accessories for customers under the Toshiba brand name. For more information, visit www.pc.toshiba-asia.com.