The best way for a company to demonstrate what it stands for is through its actions. Recently, Apple announced it would pull its EPEAT certified products from the registry, which caused a quite a public outcry. This news has raised awareness about EPEAT®, (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool), the definitive global registry for greener electronics. After the negative press and criticism from customers, Apple reversed course, deciding to re-register its products with EPEAT.
Meanwhile, at CTL we’ve been steadily growing our line of EPEAT certified products including monitors, all-in-one computers, desktops and laptops. This is a commitment we have never wavered from. It’s true that EPEAT standards are stringent and require extra time and money to achieve. However, we see the bigger picture and realize that an investment in sustainability up front is good for people, the planet, and the economy. CTL will continue to expand the number of EPEAT registered products offered. This month alone, we’ve added six new products registered at the EPEAT Silver level.
Four of the newly registered products are from our desktop line: the Meridian GM15, Meridian GC15, Meridian GW14, Meridian GW15, and the other two are the CTL PC W350 and W130 business class notebooks. All of these models also meet the EPA’s Energy Star criteria; yet, their second generation Intel® Core™ processors ensure that users are not compromising power or performance. The lightweight and powerful CTL PC W130 and W350 business class notebooks are designed especially for mobile professionals and their internet and security features make it possible to work from anywhere without losing functionality or compromising sensitive information.
EPEAT was designed to provide an environmental assessment tool for purchasers and provide public recognition for innovative electronic products that reduce environmental and health impacts. The EPEAT registry currently includes desktops, laptops/notebooks, workstations, thin clients and displays (computer monitors). In 2012, EPEAT will begin to cover imaging equipment and televisions, and server and mobile devices will be the next product categories to be covered.
CTL has a long history of offering EPEAT registered products including monitors, all-in-one computers, desktops, and laptops. The EPEAT system rates electronic products against a range of environmental performance criteria. Products must meet all required criteria in order to be registered in EPEAT at the Bronze level. They may then be registered as Silver or Gold based on the percentage of optional criteria they meet above that baseline. In order to receive an EPEAT Silver rating, products must meet all of the EPEAT criteria plus additional environmental standards. EPEAT Silver is a challenging rating to receive and maintain and represents CTL’s commitment to sustainability and to producing environmentally friendly products.
“We’re committed to making best PCs, laptops and monitors for our customers. But that commitment isn’t just about raw performance. We’re committed to sustainably producing environmentally progressive hardware. This includes hardware that is easy to disassemble for end of life recycling and it includes PCs that have open architecture so that their usage can be extended with an easy upgrade years from now,” says Mike Mahanay, CTL General Manager of Sales & Marketing. “Registering products that meet the stringent EPEAT criteria helps customers to make environmentally informed purchase decisions.”
CTL registers products to EPEAT criteria within the categories listed below. These categories reflect environmental attributes that cover the full lifecycle of electronic products:
• Reduction/elimination of environmentally sensitive materials
• Material selection
• Design for end of life
• Product longevity/life extension
• Energy conservation
• End-of-life management
• Corporate performance
• Packaging
The Meridian GM15, Meridian GC15, Meridian GW14, Meridian GW15, and CTL PC W350 and W130 business class notebooks are available for order now at www.ctl.net.
