Environmentally Friendly "Green" Computers Explode in Popularity

Business Wire, Dec 18, 2006

More than 300 Computer Products from Nine Manufacturers Identified as Meeting EPA-Funded EPEAT Standard

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Rapidly growing interest in environmentally friendly "green" computers has resulted in more than 300 computers being registered with EPEAT, the new EPA-funded green computer standard released in July. Nine manufacturers currently participate in the program.

According to Jeff Omelchuck, EPEAT's Executive Director, "Buying green computer equipment is no longer just a desirable thing to do. Many organizations now require it." As a result, the number of EPEAT registered products and participating manufacturers is expected to continue to grow.

Compared to traditional computer equipment, all EPEAT-registered computers have reduced levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury to better protect human health and the environment. They are more energy efficient, which reduces emissions of climate changing greenhouse gases. They are also easier to upgrade and recycle. In fact, manufacturers must offer safe recycling options for EPEAT registered products.

EPEAT products are identified as EPEAT-Bronze, EPEAT-Silver, or EPEAT-Gold depending on the number of environmental features incorporated in the product.

A list of all EPEAT registered products and additional details is available online at www.epeat.net.

Calculating the Environmental Benefits

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, using very conservative assumptions, estimates that over the next five years, purchases of EPEAT registered computers will result in reductions of:

* More than 13 million pounds of Hazardous Waste

* More than 3 million pounds of Non-hazardous Waste

* More than 600,000 MWh of Energy - enough to power 6 million homes

About EPEAT and the EPEAT Standard

The Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is an easy-to-use tool to rank computer desktops, laptops and monitors based on their environmental attributes. The three-tiered EPEAT rating system includes 23 required criteria and 28 optional criteria. The optional criteria are used to determine if the equipment receives EPEAT Bronze, Silver, or Gold recognition. Visit www.epeat.net for additional information.

About Green Electronics Council - The Green Electronics Council partners with environmental organizations, government agencies, manufacturers and other interested stakeholders to improve the environmental and social performance of electronic products. In January 2006, it received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to promote and implement the EPEAT green computer standard. Visit www.greenelectronicscouncil.org for additional information.