About EPEAT®

Overview of the EPEAT® Ecolabel

EPEAT® is the world’s premier ecolabel for electronics. EPEAT’s free online Registry identifies thousands of products from the broadest range of manufacturers across the globe. 

EPEAT is owned and operated by the Global Electronics Council® (GEC), a mission driven nonprofit that seeks to create a world with only sustainable electronics. GEC has been audited by ANAB and received formal recognition for meeting the requirements of ISO 14024, the internationally recognized standard for Type 1 ecolabels. EPEAT's overarching policies are available in the EPEAT Policy Manual. 

EPEAT criteria are driven by global thought leaders and developed through a voluntary consensus process with a balanced and wide range of stakeholders including large and small manufacturers, scientific experts, sustainability advocacy organizations, policy makers, and purchasers. The criteria address the most critical sustainability impact areas across the electronics life cycle, from materials extraction to end-of-life. These areas are Climate Change, Chemicals of Concern, Circularity and Sustainable Use of Resources, and Corporate Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Performance. See EPEAT's criteria here. 

To be listed on the EPEAT Registry, products first must be verified by an independent third party (known as a Conformity Assurance Body or CAB) as meeting the ecolabel criteria, providing a critical layer of credibility. EPEAT also ensures the veracity of EPEAT registered products through an ongoing surveillance process known as Continuous Monitoring, which occurs throughout the year and is implemented by the CABs.

CABs are experienced verification organizations that must meet ISO/IEC 17020 or ISO/IEC 17065, and fulfill EPEAT's eligibility requirements on an ongoing basis. Brands interested in having their products appear in EPEAT must choose to work with an organization identified on GEC's list of approved CABs. 

EPEAT oversees this network of CABs to ensure they maintain their required certifications, are trained on EPEAT criteria, meet both technical and service performance requirements, and successfully undergo an annual audit performed by EPEAT. 

Products currently meeting EPEAT criteria, known as “active” EPEAT registered products, are listed on the EPEAT Registry. Purchasers can search for products based on product category, manufacturer, the country in which the product is expected to be used and/or by EPEAT tier level (Bronze, Silver, and Gold).

EPEAT Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers foster innovation and healthy competition between participating brands. EPEAT Gold tier identifies that products meets the most demanding set of criteria for sustainability leadership in electronics. EPEAT Silver and Bronze tiers indicate that products meet a broad and robust set of criteria, also making them a more sustainable purchasing option.

EPEAT Continuous Monitoring

EPEAT ensures the veracity of EPEAT registered products through a surveillance process known as Continuous Monitoring. Continuous Monitoring activities occur throughout the year and test the ability of participating brands to prove conformance with EPEAT criteria on an ongoing basis. All registered products in all product categories from all participating brands are subject to Continuous Monitoring at any time.

Some Continuous Monitoring activities involve CABs evaluating documentation submitted by the participating brands. Other activities consist of CABs facilitating laboratory evaluation of products, where products are acquired from the open market, where possible. These activities are conducted in discrete timeframes (called Continuous Monitoring Rounds). 

EPEAT is committed to transparency. The annual schedule of Continuous Monitoring Rounds, individual Round Plans and Outcomes Reports, which identify the results of these Rounds, are made publicly available below. Products found nonconformant with EPEAT criteria in a Round are published in the Outcomes Report for the corresponding Round.  

EPEAT Continuous Monitoring Schedules

• 2021 Schedule of Continuous Monitoring Rounds
• 2022 Schedule of Continuous Monitoring Rounds
• 2023 Schedule of Continuous Monitoring Rounds

EPEAT Continuous Monitoring Plans and Outcomes Reports

For Plans and Outcomes Reports prior to those listed, please contact us.

Accessing EPEAT Criteria

EPEAT criteria address priority sustainability impacts throughout the life cycle of electronics, based on an evaluation of scientific research and international best practices. Criteria are developed in balanced, voluntary consensus processes that align with and draw from the characteristics of voluntary consensus defined in ISO 14024 and U.S. Executive Office of the President, OMB Circular A-119. These characteristics are openness, balance, due process, appeals process and consensus.

EPEAT criteria evolve as sustainability issues and impacts evolve. The entire criteria development process is repeated on a regular basis to maintain leadership levels, tighten requirements as needed, and address new critical issues.

Details regarding GEC's Selection of Product Categories and GEC's Criteria Development Process  are publicly available. 

EPEAT Climate Criteria

• EPEAT Climate Criteria. These are updated EPEAT Criteria that will be applied to the Computers and Displays, Imaging Equipment, Mobile Phones, Servers and Televisions categories. EPEAT registered products will be required to meet these Climate Criteria by the end of 2025. However, manufacturers can begin working towards these criteria immediately.

Computers and Displays

• EPEAT Computers and Displays Criteria: Based on IEEE 1680.1-2018 - Standard for Environmental and Social Responsibility Assessment of Computers and Displays and IEEE 1680.1a-2020 - Standard for Environmental and Social Responsibility Assessment of Computers and Displays – Amendment 1: Editorial and Technical Corrections and Clarifications

Imaging Equipment

• EPEAT Imaging Equipment Criteria: Based on IEEE 1680.2-2012 - Standard for Environmental Assessment of Imaging Equipment and IEEE 1680.2a-2017 - Standard for Environmental Assessment of Imaging Equipment — Amendment 1

Mobile Phones

• EPEAT Mobile Phones Criteria: Based on UL 110 Edition 2 – 2017 Standard for Sustainability for Mobile Phones, including revisions through September 28, 2018

Network Equipment

• EPEAT Network Equipment Criteria: Based on Criteria for the Sustainability Assessment of Network Equipment for the Global Electronics Council EPEAT® Ecolabel and the TÜV Rheinland Green Product Mark

Photovoltaic Modules and Inverters

• EPEAT Photovoltaic Modules and Inverters Criteria: Based on NSF/ANSI 457 – 2019 Sustainability Leadership Standard for Photovoltaic Modules and Photovoltaic Inverters
• EPEAT Criteria for the Assessment of Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Modules

Servers

• EPEAT Servers Criteria: Based on NSF/ANSI 426-2019 Environmental Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility Assessment of Servers

Televisions

• EPEAT Televisions Criteria: Based on IEEE 1680.3-2012 - Standard for Environmental Assessment of Televisions and IEEE 1680.3a- 2017 - Standard for Environmental Assessment of Televisions — Amendment 1

How do products get covered under the EPEAT ecolabel?

Brands that are interested in registering their products with EPEAT must have an officer of the company sign the  EPEAT License and Participating Manufacturer Agreement, must complete the  EPEAT Participating Manufacturer Information Form and pay the EPEAT Participating Manufacturer fees for the device categories in which they wish to register products. 

Brands must also engage with one of the experienced verification organizations identified on GEC's list of approved CABs. These organizations are responsible for verifying conformance with EPEAT criteria and program requirements. 

After completion of the required verification activities, products are considered ‘EPEAT registered' and are identified on the EPEAT Registry. At this point, products are included in EPEAT's surveillance activities called Continuous Monitoring.

EPEAT Program Forms

EPEAT License and Participating Manufacturer Agreement

EPEAT Participating Manufacturer Information Form

EPEAT Policy Manual