Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)
The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is an easy-to-use resource for purchasers, manufacturers, resellers and others wanting to find or promote electronic products with positive environmental attributes.
EPEAT was developed using a grant from EPA and is managed by the Green Electronics Council (GEC). GEC maintains EPEAT's website and product registry and also documents the environmental benefits resulting from the purchase of EPEAT-registered products.
EPEAT registered products must meet environmental performance criteria that address: materials selection, design for product longevity, reuse and recycling, energy conservation, end-of-life management and corporate performance.
Requirements for federal agencies to procure EPEAT-registered products
Executive Order 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade, directs federal agencies to "ensure procurement preference for environmentally sustainable electronics.…" Read the Executive Order.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provides regulations requiring the acquisition of EPEAT-registered products. Read subpart 23.7 of the regulation.
OMB Memo on Improving Acquisition of Common Information Technology: Laptops and Desktops (PDF) (7 pp,4 M, About PDF). This memo directs federal agencies to ensure that at least 80 percent of their laptop and desktop acquisitions are one of the five standard configurations. All configurations are ENERGY STAR certified and EPEAT registered.
EPEAT clarification issued by the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive on October 31, 2014 (PDF) (1 pp, 541 K, About PDF) regarding expansion to cover slates and tablets.
EPEAT clarification issued by the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive on February 19, 2014.
The National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship was issued by the White House Council on Environmental Quality July 20, 2011 and was updated in 2014.
The strategy directs EPA to:
- Establish multi-stakeholder groups to accelerate development of and investment in green electronics design standards.
- Promote purchasing of green electronics that are certified as meeting stringent environmental performance criteria that address environmental impacts across the entire lifecycle of the products.
- Ensure expansion of quality green electronics certification programs, including EPEAT to consider environmental impacts across entire product lifecycles and to cover additional types of electronics.
Training to help federal agencies meet their requirement to procure EPEAT-registered products
Guidance on Purchasing EPEAT-Registered Products. Updated February 2018.
Earn continuing education unit credits by watching It IS Easy Being Green, the Federal Acquisition Institute recorded webinar, which includes training on how to procure EPEAT-registered imaging equipment and televisions. Watch the webinar now.
Contract language for procuring or leasing EPEAT-registered products
Language that is required to be added to contracts for the purchase of EPEAT-registered electronic products per the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) subpart 23.703. Read the FAR regulation.
(b) Under this contract, the contractor shall deliver, furnish for government use, or furnish for contractor use at a federally controlled facility, (only personal computer products, televisions or imaging equipment that), at the time of submission of proposals and at the time of award, were EPEAT bronze-registered or higher.
Alternate I (Jun 2014): substitute the following paragraph (b) for paragraph (b) of the basic clause:
(b) Under this contract, the Contractor shall deliver, furnish for Government use, or furnish for contractor use at a Federally controlled facility, (only personal computer products, televisions or imaging equipment that), at the time of submission of proposals and at the time of award, were EPEAT silver-registered or gold-registered.
Current Contract Language Used by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
C.6.9.6 EPEAT Report: The Contractor shall provide the EPEAT report on a quarterly basis. Each quarterly report shall quantify the number of EPEAT registered and non-EPEAT registered products purchased or leased under this contract for the specified quarter. Not all items must be reported. Items that must be reported include Desktop Computers, Monitors, Laptop Computers, Televisions, Multifunction Devices, and Printers. The information must be reported in the template form provided at Chapter D, Attachment 2, and submitted to the IDIQ COR and the IDIQ CO and cc to the DHS Environmental Program Manager at ocao-sustainabilityreports.hq.dhs.gov, no later than the 15th of the month following the quarter being reported on. If non-EPEAT registered products are sold and reported, a brief explanation of procurement background or justification shall be included in the report. An EPEAT report is not necessary if there were no purchases for that quarter.
When an ordering activity specifies personal computer products that are not EPEAT registered and suitable EPEAT products are available, the Contractor shall:
- Notify the requester of the requirement to purchase the EPEAT product; and
- Provide a suitable alternative(s) that meet the EPEAT registered requirements.
Recommended contract clauses for all EPEAT-registered product categories
"Suppliers are required to block non-EPEAT-registered products on their electronic catalogs that customers may buy from through this contract".
"Suppliers are required to provide quarterly reports quantifying the number of EPEAT-registered products purchased under this contract. The information must be reported in a matrix providing the following data for the current quarter, the fiscal year, and the duration of the contract."
This page has sample acquisition policies of several federal agencies that require the purchase of EPEAT-registered products.
Department Of Energy
The Department Of Energy Acquisition Regulation (PDF) (497 pp, 3.36M, About PDF) and Department of Energy Acquisition Guide (PDF)(33 pp, 331 K, About PDF).
Department of Veterans Affairs
Acquisition Policy Flash! 16-19: Contracting for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Registered Products. The purpose of this Acquisition Policy Flash is to reaffirm for the VA Acquisition workforce requirements to procure EPEAT®-registered electronics per Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 23, Executive Order (E.O.) 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade, and the Implementing Instructions for E.O. 13693.
EPA
Sample Policy and Guidance Language for Purchasing Green Electronics. The policy language in this document is provided as an example of the type of language your organization can include in a sustainable acquisition policy, directive, memorandum, or guidance.
General Services Administration
GSA Green Purchasing Plan 2013 (PDF)(5 pp, 1.7 M, About PDF). This policy applies to all new contract actions in support of GSA operations and using GSA funds.
Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (EEBC)
The Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculators (EEBC) were developed to assist organizations in estimating the environmental benefits of greening their purchase, use and disposal of electronics.
The EEBC estimates the environmental and economic benefits of:
- Purchasing Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)-registered products
- Enabling power management features on computers and monitors above default percentages
- Extending the life of equipment beyond baseline values
- Reusing computers, monitors, imaging equipment, televisions and cell phones
- Recycling computers, monitors, imaging equipment, televisions, cell phones and loads of mixed electronic products
EEBC Computer (Version 4) Exit
Use this calculator to calculate environmental results for desktop computers, notebook computers, cathode ray tube monitors, and LED monitors.
EEBC Imaging Equipment (Version 1) Exit
Use this calculator to calculate the environmental results for color multi-function devices, black and white multi-function devices, and black and white printers.
EEBC Television (Version 1) Exit
Use this calculator to calculate the environmental results for LED TVs.
ResourcesUsing the Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator
This document provides answers to frequently asked questions about the EEBC.