A Tool to Support Environmentally Preferable

Purchasing of Electronic Products

Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool

Chandler WorkshopJune 17, 2003

Wayne Riferwrifer@concentric.net

Context: Electronic Product Stewardship Initiatives

• Western Electronic Product Stewardship Initiative

• National Electronic Product Stewardship Initiative

• Goals of WEPSI and NEPSI– Create and fund the infrastructure– Minimize the cost of EOL management– Maximize product value at EOL

• EPEAT was a recommendation of WEPSI

EPEAT MissionTo develop and actively disseminate a Tool that:• Promotes continuous improvement in the

environmental design of electronic products• Informs purchasing decisions by consumers and

institutional purchasers regarding the environmental attributes of electronic products

• Provides market advantage for leaders in environmental design

• Economically motivates environmental performance through product design.

EPEAT Process

Step 1: Hold stakeholder workshop, Chandler, Az; June 17

Step 2: Assemble Development Team

Step 3: Build the organizational structure

Step 4: Develop Assessment Tool

Step 5: Commission and promote use of the Assessment Tool

EPEAT Project Structure

• Steering Committee– Membership: EPA representatives and grantees

• Challenge– Organize and kick-off EPEAT– Articulate a mission– Invite participation on the EPEAT Development Team– Hand off management of EPEAT to the Development

Team

EPEAT Project Structure• Development Team

– Membership: Multiple stakeholders

• Challenge– Assume responsibility for EPEAT– Examine options thoroughly and openly– Decide on:

• The product and attribute scope of the Tool• A desired structure for the Tool• A parent organization

– Prepare a Development and Funding Plan– Weigh merits of creating an Assessment Tool

EPEAT Overview

ArticulateProject

Mission -

Establish Development

Team

Define Scope andStructure

of the Tool-

Identify ParentOrganization

Prepare Development

and Funding Plan

- Weight

Merits of Implementation

Report to all Interested Parties

with Recommendations

for Next Steps

Establish Final Technical

Guidelines-

Pilot Testand

Launch

Steering Committee

Development Team

EstablishStakeholderInvolvement

-Establish

Management andOperational

Systems

Parent Organization

Some Questions for the Development Team

Scope of Environmental Attributes• WEPSI recommended to focus on EOL

management

• Other possible attributes:– Energy efficiency– Toxic/hazardous substances– Manufacturing

Some Questions for the Development Team

Scope of Products• Steering Committee recommends, as an

outer bound, Personal Computing and Communication Devices– CPUs, laptops, monitors, PDAs, cell phones

Some Questions for the Development Team

Desired Attributes• Be simple & clear to a purchasing agent• Effectively measure preferred environmental design• Be voluntary but inviting for manufacturers

• Be transparent and allow flexibility

• Reward innovation

• Be low cost and cause no delay in time-to-market

Some Questions for the Development Team

Structure of the Tool• Pros and cons of self-declaration versus

third-party certified

• Variations on these

• Issues of time, cost and credibility