The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it has created a performance standard to help large computer buyers make environmentally sound purchases.
The EPA said the voluntary standard is designed to help reduce the environmental impact of discarded desktop and laptop computers and monitors.
The new standard offers criteria in eight categories: material selection; environmentally sensitive materials; design for end of life; end-of-life management; energy conservation; product longevity and life-cycle extension; packaging; and corporate performance.
The Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association has identified the new voluntary criteria as IEEE 1680, "The Standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products."
IEEE 1680, and its product registration and verification system, are part of an EPA-funded project that promotes improvement in the environmental design of electronic products and informs purchasers of the environmental criteria of electronic products.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
