Manufacturers create their own green ratings for electronic products
January 27, 2010 by Tom GuayPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, News, energy efficiency, sustainability
The writing on the retail wall is getting bigger: Manufacturers and retailers alike want products labeled green to make them easier to sell.
Big box retailers Wal-Mart and Best Buy just joined with electronic product makers Dell, HP, Intel and Toshiba to create their own comprehensive green rating system that will highlight the social and environmental aspects of their products so shoppers will know which products are greener than others.
The retailers and manufacturers will work with The Sustainability Consortium to build criteria for measuring the greeniness of electronic products, based on how they’re built, used and disposed of.
The consortium said in a statement that it will release initial results of its work to assess the sustainability of laptops, desktops and monitors in the fall.
Once green standards are set, the group plans to expand the green ratings to a broader set of electronic goods.
Environmental and green groups already have their own budding green rating certification programs. But the electronics makers and sellers want to develop their own system.
Once they have a program, the group says it will work with established third-party certifications, such as EPEAT® (the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool), EPA’s Energy Star program, and the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition.
Tags: Best Buy, Dell, HP, Intel, Sustainability Consortium, Toshiba, Wal-Mart
GreenandMore.com
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January 28th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
I saw this report on CFL health concerns (http://www.cleanpowercanada.bravehost.com/report1.html) that has me wondering if we’re taking shortcuts in our frenzy to be green. Are there any formal studies being done to determine if there are UV and “dirty electricity” issues with CFLs?