A device must meet the minimum 33 required criteria to be certified EPEAT Bronze, plus at least 50 percent of the optional criteria to be certified EPEAT Silver or at least 75 percent of the optional criteria to be certified EPEAT Gold. As of this writing, 288 document imaging devices—copiers, digital duplicators, fax machines, mailing machines, multifunctional devices, printers and scanners—are listed in the EPEAT registry for the United States. Here’s a breakdown by manufacturer:
EPEAT is a voluntary standard; however, many government and private purchasing proposals require EPEAT certification. According to the organization, the original PC/display rating system was used as an environmental requirement by eight national governments and thousands of purchasers worldwide. Based on the organization’s success on the PC/display end, they estimate significant environmental savings with EPEAT-certified products when compared against competing products that do not meet EPEAT criteria. In fact, according to the organization, customers who purchase EPEAT-registered products over products that don’t meet the criteria have avoided more than 394,000 metric tons of hazardous waste and reduced solid waste by nearly 167,000 metric tons. A list of EPEAT-certified products and each product’s associated ranking can be found on the EPEAT website.