Federal Green Challenge - Electronics
On this page:
- Federal Green Challenge Electronics Goals
- Reducing Your Electronics Footprint
- Case Studies (Success Stories)
Federal Green Challenge Electronics Goals
Promote electronics stewardship in the federal government by encouraging federal facilities to purchase greener electronics, reduce the impacts of electronics during use, and manage used electronics in an environmentally safe way.
Relative to your baseline, increase the above by 5% or more.
- Purchase/lease Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) products
- The number of electronic devices in use with power management enabled
- Recycle responsibly through 3rd party certified electronics recyclers/donation of electronic equipment
- The average life span of electronics
Reducing Your Electronics Footprint
- Purchase
- Purchase/lease EPEAT-registered Exit
- Purchase/lease Energy Star certified equipment Exit
- Share electronics and streamline networking to decrease quantity of electronics purchased
- Operation & Maintenance
Fact: Activating monitor power management can save $10-$35+ per monitor annually.
- Enable power management settings on electronics to reduce energy usage.
- GSA’s SFTool Exit has information on opportunities to save energy by reducing plug loads in offices, break rooms and support areas
- Learn how you can reduce paper and printer ink usage in your offices from the Federal Electronics Challenge
- End-of-Life
Fact: In 2007, about 414,000 tons of electronics were collected in the US for recycling. This prevented the release of greenhouse gases equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 178,000 cars.
- Decrease turnover of electronic equipment.
- Read GSA Bulletin B-34(6 pp, 69 K, About PDF) and work with your IT staff, agency and GSA personal property managers to find reuse opportunities within the federal government.
- Donate still functional electronics through programs such as Computers for Learning.
- Recycle electronics at end of life only through:
- 3rd Party Certified Electronics Recyclers
- US Postal Service’s Blue Earth recycling program open to federal facilities and employees.
- Unicor Electronics Recycling
- Achieve 100% recycling of electronics through 3rd party certified electronics recyclers within three years.
- Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator
- Energy Star Computer Power Management Savings Calculator (XLSX)
- Measurement
- Recognition
Case Studies (Success Stories)
- Air Force's computer purchasing
- U.S. General Services Administration electronic stewardship
- Enhancing recycling increases waste diversion
More case studies are available at the U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Page.