The 2018 edition of IEEE 1680.1, or the IEEE standard for environmental and socially responsibility assessment of computers and displays, has been released. This update places additional emphasis on the supply chain and the growing importance to manufacturers and purchasers of corporate social responsibility.
As long as you live on planet Earth, it is impossible to escape the urgency that is environmental responsibility. Regardless of your green practices or environmental footprint, the food you eat and even the air you breathe consumes Gaia’s resources. For any product, environmental and social responsibility should always be addressed. With computers and related hardware, despite arguably eliminating the need for paper and aiding in eco-conscious choices, environmental sustainability remains a concern.
IEEE 1680.1-2018: IEEE Standard for Environmental and Social Responsibility Assessment of Computers and Displays defines environmental and social responsibility performance criteria for computers and displays. This document—part of the IEEE 1680 family of standards that provides clear and consistent performance criteria for enhancing environmental and social responsibility surrounding electronic products—serves as an easy-to-use evaluation tool allowing purchasers to compare and select electronic products based on environmental and social responsibility performance.
Specifically, IEEE 1680.1-2018 is applicable to desktop computers, notebook computers, integrated desktop computers, portable all-in-one computers, slates/tablets, small-scale servers, thin clients, and workstations, as well as monitors and signage displays. It is intended to be used by government, institutional, corporate, and consumer purchasers during selection, as well as computer designers and manufacturers who would like to sell products meeting environmental performance standards.
Various outputs may emerge throughout the development life cycle of a computer, which can inflict some level of environmental degradation. For this reason, the entire product life cycle and the end life of the products should be considered. IEEE 1680.1-2018 addresses this issue, as well as energy conservation, packaging, carbon footprint, corporate environmental performance, and corporate social responsibility.
In meeting the needs of these broader issues, IEEE 1680.1-2018 delves into more-specific areas for compliance, such as post-consumer recycled plastic content, reducing hazardous substances, and increasing product longevity.
IEEE 1680.1-2018 is an environmental and corporate responsibility leadership standard, and approximately 25 to 35 percent of the market are realistically able to qualify to the Bronze, base, level at its time of publication. This level is met by conforming to all “required” criteria outlined in the IEEE standard for environmental and social responsibility assessment of computers and displays. The two higher levels can be met by conformance to the required criteria, plus at least 50 percent (Silver) or 75 percent (Gold) of the available additional points.
Please note that the IEEE standard for environmental and socially responsibility assessment of computers and displays is not applicable to computer servers defined in the ENERGY STAR server specification, video game consoles, or mobile computing devices with displays less than 6.5 inches diagonally.
IEEE 1680.1-2018: IEEE Standard for Environmental and Social Responsibility Assessment of Computers and Displays is available on the ANSI Webstore.
