by Jbs020710 F3 — February 10, 2010—The EPEAT green electronics rating system added its 41st country on February 4 as Singapore became the first new country to join the system following EPEAT’s international expansion in August 2009.
With the country-specific green product ratings available today, EPEAT now offers purchasers in Singapore a clear and impartial way to assess the environmental performance of computer hardware and displays. Toshiba was the first to register in Singapore, with 23 Gold-rated notebooks.
EPEAT provides an extensive and influential environmental rating system for electronics, with a registry of more than 1,000 products and more than 40 participating manufacturers worldwide, from global giants to small integrators. Last summer’s expansion enabled IT purchasers in the US, Canada, Europe, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Mexico to compare and select environmentally preferable products based on their environmental performance in their countries. Now Singaporeans have that same ability.
The EPEAT system evaluates electronic products according to three tiers of environmental performance: Bronze, Silver and Gold, based on 51 environmental criteria. Key benchmarks include elimination of toxics, design for recycling, extended product longevity, increased energy efficiency, packaging waste reduction, and takeback and recycling services.
