The environmental rating system is now available to manufacturers in the country.
EE Herald reported on EPEAT’s official launch in India at an event in Delhi, hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD) and the Green Electronics Council. EPEAT is now available to electronics manufacturers and users to “validate [the] environmental impact of electronic products”, with India becoming the 43rd country to introduce it.
The event saw attendees discuss how EPEAT “can support and reinforce Indian efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of electronics”, with manufacturers still needing to register products with EPEAT on a “country-by-country” basis in order to qualify for the rating system worldwide. The Recycler reported in February 2013 that the imaging equipment category, including printers and cartridges, had been launched.
EPEAT stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, and rates each product on a lifecycle basis for the “elimination of toxic substances, the use of recycled and recyclable materials, product design for recycling, product longevity, energy efficiency, corporate performance and packaging attributes”, in addition to requiring manufacturers be responsible for both collection and “responsible recycling” of devices registered under the system.