Posted by Le in
What is EPEAT?
The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a nonprofit organization that helps promote “environmentally preferable products.” It’s also backed by the federal government—in the form of the Environmental Protection Agency—and industry partners. Until recently, that latter list included Apple, who helped develop the standard 
The group gives out three levels of certification—gold, silver, and bronze—based on a mix of required and optional criteria. While all EPEAT-certified products must at least meet the required criteria, higher rankings are given to those which meet more of the optional criteria.
EPEAT focuses on the overall lifecycle of a product, using details such as the materials used in the products, how long the product will last, energy conservation, packaging, and more. The group also takes into account whether the manufacturers offer takeback and recycling of old products and support services like warranties, which extend the life of products.
Previously, much of Apple’s Mac line was rated EPEAT Gold, meaning that not only did the products meet EPEAT’s required standards, they also met at least 75 percent of the organization’s optional standards.
Why did Apple pull its products?
Apple’s been fairly tight-lipped about the decision, but company spokesperson Kristin Huguet did tell The Loop that the company “takes a comprehensive approach to measuring our environmental impact and all of our products meet the strictest energy efficiency standards backed by the US government, Energy Star 5.2.” In addition, Huguet added, Apple reports additional environmental information on its website, including areas not covered by EPEAT’s guidelines. It’s worth noting, however, that Energy Star only covers the energy-efficiency of a product, not other factors taken into account by EPEAT, such as recyclability or materials.
Going forward, freedom from EPEAT’s constraints may mean that Apple can make decisions about its product design that would have been otherwise unfeasible—but it also means that there may not be an easy, objective way to judge the environmental factors of its future products.
