Purchasers are demanding more environmentally friendly electronics and appliances. UL Environment can help by delivering sustainable product certifications to the IEEE 1680 standards.
Definition
Developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), IEEE 1680 is the umbrella sustainability standard for the environmental assessment of electronic products. The specific standards within IEEE 1680 measure environmental performance criteria for a variety of products:
IEEE 1680.1 - Computers and laptops
IEEE 1680.2 - Print devices, copiers, fax machines
IEEE 1680.3 - Televisions, television monitors and assemblies
IEEE 1680.1
IEEE 1680.1 is a product-specific standard for environmental assessment of personal computer products, including notebook personal computers, desktop personal computers and personal computer monitors.
This is a tiered standard, with 28 possible points divided into the following eight categories:
Reduction/elimination of environmentally sensitive materials – 8 points
Materials selection – 3 points
Design for end of life – 5 points
Product longevity/life cycle extension – 2 points
Energy conservation – 3 points
End-of-life management – 1 point
Corporate performance – 2 points
Packaging – 4 points
Certification is awarded when 22 mandatory criteria are satisfied and the required amount of optional points is achieved. There are three levels of certification and their points requirements are:
Bronze – All required criteria
Silver – All required criteria and minimum of 50% of available optional criteria points
Gold – All required criteria and minimum of 75% of available optional criteria points
IEEE 1680.2
IEEE 1680.2 is a product-specific standard for environmental assessment of imaging equipment, including copiers, digital duplicators, facsimile machines, multifunction devices, printers and mailing machines and scanners.
IEEE 1680.2 is a tiered standard and is divided into 10 categories:
Reduction/elimination of environmentally sensitive materials
Materials selection
Design for end of life
Product longevity/life cycle extension
Energy conservation
End-of-life management
Corporate performance
Packaging
Consumables
Indoor air quality
Certification is awarded when mandatory criteria are satisfied, and the required amount of optional points is achieved.
Bronze – All required criteria
Silver – All required criteria and minimum of 50% of available optional criteria points
Gold – All required criteria and minimum of 75% of available optional criteria points
IEEE 1680.3
IEEE 1680.3 is a product-specific standard for environmental assessment of televisions, including televisions, television combination units and component television units.
IEEE 1680.3 is a tiered standard and is divided into eight categories:
Environmentally sensitive materials
Materials selection
Design for end of life
Product longevity/life cycle extension
Energy conservation
End-of-life management
Corporate performance
Packaging
Certification is awarded when mandatory criteria are satisfied, and the required amount of optional points is achieved.
Bronze – All required criteria
Silver – All required criteria and minimum of 50% of available optional criteria points
Gold – All required criteria and minimum of 75% of available optional criteria points
Benefits
For manufacturers pursuing Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registration, UL Environment can offer a full scope of services, including readiness assessment, testing and certification to IEEE 1680 Standards. UL Environment is one of the only organizations in the world selected as a Product Registration Entity (PRE) for EPEAT. As a PRE, UL Environment assists manufacturers with registering their products to the central EPEAT registry referenced by government purchasers.
UL Environment provides scientific expertise in assessing and auditing the wide range of environmental criteria required to meet the IEEE 1680 Standards. Certifications are awarded on a tiered point system: Bronze, Silver or Gold.
Products that have achieved third-party certification to IEEE 1680 standards from UL Environment will be listed in UL’s Sustainable Product Guide (www.ul.com/spg), where they can be easily identified by product category, company name, product name, or type of claim.
Visit the UL International (UK) Ltd website for more information on Certification - IEEE 1680 Certifications