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 non-profit that seeks to create a world with only sustainable electronics. GEC has been audited by ANAB and received formal recognition for meeting the requirement 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. These leadership criteria address the most critical sustainability impact areas across the electronics life cycle, from materials extraction to end-of-life – Climate Change, Chemicals of Concern, Circularity and Sustainable Use of Resources, and Responsible Sourcing. See EPEAT criteria here.

Manufacturers and/or brands interested in participating in EPEAT must engage with a Conformity Assurance Body (CAB) and prove conformance with EPEAT criteria before their products can appear in the EPEAT Registry. 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.

Manufacturers and/or brands must work with one of the organizations identified in the list of GEC-approved Conformity Assurance Bodies (CABs). EPEAT oversees this network of CABs to ensure they maintain the required certifications, are trained on EPEAT criteria, meet both technical and service performance requirements, and successfully undergo annual audits performed by EPEAT.

Products currently meeting EPEAT criteria, known as "active" EPEAT registered products, are identified in 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 identifies that products meet 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 an ongoing surveillance process known as Continuous Monitoring. Continuous Monitoring activities occur throughout the year and test the ability of participating brands to prove conformance with the criteria on an ongoing basis. Some 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.

All registered products in all product categories from all participating brands are subject to Continuous Monitoring at any time.

EPEAT is committed to transparency. The annual schedule of Continuous Monitoring Rounds, as well as all individual Round Plans and their results are made publicly available below. Products found nonconformant with EPEAT Criteria in Continuous Monitoring are published in the Outcomes Report for the corresponding Continuous Monitoring Round. GEC believes that this public disclosure of outcomes is an incentive for Participating Manufacturers to ensure ongoing conformance with EPEAT Criteria.

EPEAT Continuous Monitoring Schedules

• 2021 Schedule of Continuous Monitoring Rounds
• 2022 Schedule of Continuous Monitoring Rounds
• 2023 Schedule of Continuous Monitoring Rounds
• 2024 Schedule of Continuous Monitoring Rounds
• 2025 Schedule of Continuous Monitoring Rounds

EPEAT Continuous Monitoring Plans and Outcomes Reports

For Plans and Outcomes Reports published prior to the years below, 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 data 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 Environmental labels and declarations – Type 1 environmental labelling – Principles and procedures, and U.S. Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, OMB Circular A-119: Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities.

EPEAT constantly evolves 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. This ensures that purchasers are able to procure electronics that respond to evolving science, leverage best practices and integrate a global perspective.

GEC welcomes proposals for new criteria, revisions to existing criteria and/or corrections to existing criteria from stakeholders. To submit a proposal, please complete all sections of the GEC Criteria Feedback and Request Form and send, with any attachments, to Criteria@GEC.org. Questions about completing this form can also be directed to Criteria@GEC.org.

A summary of the criteria development process is available in GEC Criteria Development Process. Details on how GEC selects technology categories for EPEAT are also publicly available in GEC Selection of Product Categories.

EPEAT Climate Criteria

EPEAT Climate Criteria: These updated EPEAT Criteria will apply to ICT product categories. These criteria require electronics brands to design and manufacture products with climate change mitigation in mind, including:

• Measure GHG emissions and publicly disclose product carbon footprints.
• Establish and publicly report progress on meeting science-based GHG emission reduction targets across manufacturer and supply chain operations.
• Implement best practices for decarbonization, including manufacturing energy efficiency, renewable electricity sourcing, product energy efficiency, and reducing high global warming potential chemicals in manufacturing.

EPEAT Responsible Supply Chains Criteria

EPEAT Responsible Supply Chains Criteria: These updated EPEAT Criteria will apply to ICT product categories. Products that meet these criteria are designed to mitigate labor and occupational health and safety (OHS) concerns in the electronics supply chain, including:

• Mitigate labor and OHS risks through supply chain risk assessment and audits of manufacturer and supplier facilities.
• Conduct living wage assessments and directly engage workers to improve workplace conditions, and publicly report on activities undertaken.
• Enable safer and more sustainable labor and workforce practices.
• Promote and demonstrate responsible mineral sourcing.

EPEAT Reduction of Chemicals of Concern Criteria

EPEAT Reduction of Chemicals of Concern Criteria: These updated EPEAT Criteria will apply to ICT product categories. Products that meet these criteria are designed to reduce life cycle impacts related to chemicals of concern in the product, manufacturing facilities, and packaging, including:

• Increase knowledge and publicly disclose chemical substances found in the product.
• Restrict use of known hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, halogenated flame retardants, phthalates and PFAS in products.
• Identify safer substances using hazard assessment to avoid the introduction of regrettable substitutes.
• Reduce use of high priority process chemicals in manufacturing operations to protect workers.
• Reduce toxicity of packaging including heavy metals, chlorinated compounds, phthalates and PFAS.

EPEAT Sustainable Use of Resources Criteria (Circularity)

EPEAT Sustainable Use of Resources Criteria: These updated EPEAT Criteria will apply to ICT product categories. Products that meet these criteria are designed to conserve material resources, including:

• Increase use of reused and recycled content.
• Keep products in operation for as long as possible through product design for durability, repair and reuse, availability of replacement components and repair services, use of long-life rechargeable batteries, prohibition of use of software parts pairing as a barrier to repair, and access to system firmware.
• Recover materials responsibly once products ultimately reach end-of-life.
• Address sustainable packaging design and water stewardship.

EPEAT Imaging Equipment Consumables Criteria

EPEAT Imaging Equipment Consumables Criteria: These updated EPEAT Criteria will apply to the Imaging Equipment category. Products that meet these criteria are designed to:

• Conserve material resources.
• Reduce GHG emissions and protect human health by allowing for the use of recycled content paper and remanufactured cartridges.
• Address indoor air quality.
• Enable circularity through take-back of ink and toner cartridges.

Computers and Displays

EPEAT Computers and Displays Category Criteria: 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 Category Criteria: IEEE 1680.2™ - 2024 Standard for Environmental Assessment of Imaging Equipment

Mobile Phones

EPEAT Mobile Phone Category Criteria: UL 110 Edition 2 – 2017 Standard for Sustainability for Mobile Phones (including revisions through September 28, 2018)

Network Equipment

EPEAT Network Equipment Category Criteria: 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 Category Criteria: NSF/ANSI 457-2019 (r2024) Sustainability Leadership Standard for Photovoltaic Modules and Photovoltaic Inverters and EPEAT-ULCS-2023 Criteria for the Assessment of Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Modules

In December 2024, Interim Corrections were released for EPEAT-ULCS-2023, which provide additional clarity on conformity assurance requirements to ensure further consistence and objectivity. Interim Corrections are indicated by gray highlight in the document and are considered informative until their formal adoption during the next criteria revision process.

EPEAT Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Criteria 4.1 and 4.2 have specific layers of verification that must be performed by different verification entities. See EPEAT Solar Category Verification Overview for further information on how the verification process works for the Photovoltaic Modules and Inverters category in general, and specific requirements for the Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Criteria for Photovoltaic Modules specifically. If using an alternative global warming potential contribution coefficient(s) to calculate the Verified Carbon Footprint, a Designated Expert must be engaged - see GEC List of Designated Experts for Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Module Criteria.

Servers

EPEAT Servers Category Criteria: NSF/ANSI 426-2019 (r2024) Environmental Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility Assessment of Servers

Televisions

EPEAT Televisions Category Criteria: IEEE 1680.3™ - 2024 Standard for Environmental Assessment of Televisions

How do products get covered under the EPEAT ecolabel?

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Manufacturers and/or 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 product categories in which they wish to register products.

Manufacturers and/or brands must also engage with one of the experienced verification organizations identified on the list of GEC-approved Conformity Assurance Bodies (CABs). These organizations are responsible for verifying conformance with EPEAT criteria and program requirements prior to products appearing in the EPEAT Registry.

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