CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development today celebrated the Indian debut of the EPEAT® environmental-rating system for electronics with an event in Delhi co-hosted with the Green Electronics Council. CII convened representatives from the electronics industry, enterprise purchasers, government and Indian civil society in a discussion of how EPEAT can support and reinforce Indian efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of electronics. The Green Electronics Council, the U.S-based non-profit organization that manages the EPEAT system encouraged attendees from all stakeholder groups to continue thinking creatively.
For eight years, EPEAT ratings have helped companies, governments and consumers around the world compare and purchase greener devices, resulting in significant environmental benefits. India is the 43rd country in which EPEAT registration and verification services are now available to help purchasers select products that reduce their environmental impact.
“Indian purchasers now have a way to easily and reliably identify greener electronics, joining with others around the world to reward the development of more environmentally sound devices,” said Robert Frisbee, CEO of the Green Electronics Council. “Considering the size and scope of the Indian electronics market, we are excited about the environmental benefits that will flow from today’s opening of EPEAT for India.”
EPEAT, which stands for “Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool,” rates products on a lifecycle basis. The system addresses the elimination of toxic substances, the use of recycled and recyclable materials, product design for recycling, product longevity, energy efficiency, corporate performance and packaging attributes, as well as requiring manufacturer responsibility for collection and responsible recycling of all registered devices. Manufacturers must register their products in EPEAT on a country-by-country basis to ensure all product and service criteria are supported and verified for local markets. (More at www.epeat.net).