EPEAT® Environmental Rating System Debuts in India

NEW DELHI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Confederation of Indian Industry's Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD) today celebrated the Indian debut of the EPEAT® environmental-rating system for electronics with an event in Delhi co-hosted with the Green Electronics Council. CII convened representatives from the electronics industry, enterprise purchasers, government and Indian civil society in a discussion of how EPEAT can support and reinforce Indian efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of electronics. The Green Electronics Council, the U.S-based non-profit organization that manages the EPEAT system encouraged attendees from all stakeholder groups to continue thinking creatively

For eight years, EPEAT ratings have helped companies, governments and consumers around the world compare and purchase greener devices, resulting in significant environmental benefits. India is now the 43rd country where EPEAT registration and verification services are available to help purchasers select products that reduce their environmental impact.

“Indian purchasers now have a way to easily and reliably identify greener electronics, joining with others around the world to reward the development of more environmentally sound devices,” said Robert Frisbee, CEO of the Green Electronics Council. “Considering the size and scope of the Indian electronics market, we are excited about the environmental benefits that will flow from today's opening of EPEAT for India.”

EPEAT rates products on a lifecycle basis, addressing toxics elimination, use of recycled and recyclable materials, design for recycling, product longevity, energy efficiency, corporate performance and packaging, as well as requiring manufacturer collection and responsible recycling of all registered devices. Manufacturers register their products in EPEAT on a country-by-country basis to ensure all product and service criteria are supported and verified for local markets.

“Indian industry and enterprise use ICT products to create new efficiencies and sustainability benefits,” said Seema Arora, Executive Director of CII-CESD. “The availability of EPEAT registration will enable bulk-consumers of ICT products to increase the net benefit of these activities by easily identifying and selecting environmentally responsible products.”

Dell and HP have already registered 146 PC and Display products in India, VXL Instruments of Bangalore has joined the EPEAT system as a Participating Manufacturer and other manufacturers are preparing to register. The EPEAT system currently rates PCs and Displays, Televisions and Imaging Equipment (printers, copiers, scanners etc.), with standards for Servers and Mobile Phones in development.

“The ICT sector in India is very concerned with the environmental impacts of product design, manufacturing and end of life recovery” said Anwar Shirpurwala, Executive Director of MAIT (formerly known as the Manufacturers Association for Information Technology). “Participation in programs such as EPEAT will support Indian manufacturers' ability to reap market rewards in both internal and external markets based on their products' environmental performance. It shall enable provision of globally accepted, transparent and effective methods to ensure greener electronics.”

“Customers are looking for simple ways to make comparisons between products and their environmental qualities. Dell helps its customers make those assessments easily through our commitment to a wide range of EPEAT product registrations,” says Michael Murphy, Executive Director Worldwide Regulatory Compliance & Environmental Affairs at Dell. “EPEAT-registered products are a global solution reflecting our own environmental sustainability principles and we are proud to expand our EPEAT product registrations to the Indian market.”

EPEAT's environmental rating system is used for purchasing by eight national governments, including the U.S. Federal government. Thousands of purchasers worldwide use EPEAT to obtain products that meet strict environmental criteria that support more effective recycling, reduced energy consumption, longer product life and reduced toxicity. More than 50 manufacturers participate across 43 countries, and more than 600 million EPEAT-registered products have been purchased since the Registry debuted in July 2006.

“I'm proud that my district is home to this organization that is making such a difference, not just in the US but around the world. The U.S. government is leading by example by embracing EPEAT standards for purchasing greener electronics, and I'm eager to see the positive impact of the expanded EPEAT registry,” said U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer. “We need to create new paths to environmental success stories that rely on creativity not restriction, science not politics and incentive not penalty. EPEAT's success shows that a cooperative, reward-based approach can move markets and that diverse stakeholders working together can be true catalysts for change. The alliances the Green Electronics Council is building in India demonstrate how leadership through collaboration can be a powerful tool for global progress.”

Since 2006, purchasers choosing EPEAT-registered electronics over products that don't meet the system's criteria have eliminated greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 11 million U.S. vehicles' annual impact, avoided more than 394,000 metric tons of hazardous waste and reduced solid waste by nearly 167,000 metric tons – equivalent to nearly 86,000 U.S. households' annual waste.

About EPEAT

EPEAT is the definitive global registry for greener electronics. EPEAT combines strict, comprehensive criteria for design, production, energy use and recycling with ongoing independent verification of manufacturer claims. EPEAT was developed through a stakeholder consensus process and is managed by the Green Electronics Council, a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon.