Sustainable Marketplace: Greener Products and Services

Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)

This is a green check logo that helps the Federal Government purchase green electronics.The following links exit the site Exit

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.

Federal agencies are required to purchase environmentally sustainable electronics products under Executive Order (EO) 13693. The EO Implementing Instructions state that "EPEAT is currently the only tool available to achieve the electronic stewardship mandates… of EO 13693."

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 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.

Read more about the task force and the strategy.

Training to help federal agencies meet their requirement to procure EPEAT-registered products

Guidance on Purchasing EPEAT-Registered Products. Updated April 2016.

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.

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."

Quarterly report sample in a matrix providing 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.

Measuring the environmental benefits of procuring or leasing EPEAT-registered products

The Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator can quantify the benefits gained by purchasing EPEAT-registered electronics. Enter the number of EPEAT-registered products purchased, and the calculator tallies energy and money savings, as well as reductions in toxic substances, hazardous waste generated, and similar benefits.

The calculator can also quantify the benefits of making improvements in equipment operation and end-of-life management practices.

To measure your benefits see how the EEBC calculator can work.

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