Resources

 

The State Electronics Challenge provides state, tribal, regional, and local government, and schools, colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations with resources and tools to "green" their electronics—from purchasing, through use and end-of-life. 

• General Policies & Planning
• Green Purchasing using EPEAT
• Power Management of Office Equipment
• Data Center Energy Efficiency
• Reducing Paper Use
• Extending Product Life
• Reuse & Donation
• Recycling
• Media Sanitization
• Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (EEBC)

 

General Policies & Planning

 

• Sample Resolution to Participate in the State Electronics Challenge

  Some entities launch a new initiative by adopting a resolution to participate in the Challenge. This sample resolution for committing to join the program can be used by any organization seeking to endorse or join the State Electronics Challenge.  

• Green IT in Enterprise Practices: The Essential Role of the State CIO
  This 2008 report by the National Association of State Chief Information Offers looks at how state CIOs can shape and promote green IT practices and policies.  Numerous case examples illustrate the successful implementation of green IT initiatives in state agencies. 
  
  
• EPA Region 8 Standard Operating Procedure For IT Asset Management (Word) (PDF)

  This document provides a detailed map of the process by which information technology (IT) assets can be managed throughout their lifecycle; from purchasing to recycling.    

• Purchasing Planning Checklist
  This checklist outlines questions to consider throughout the purchasing process and can assist you with the process of purchasing environmentally preferable electronic products and services.
   
• Total Cost of Ownership

  Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) modeling is a tool for systematically considering all of the costs related to an information technology (IT) management decision. TCO includes direct and indirect costs incurred throughout the lifecycle, including purchasing, use, and end-of-life management. The U.S. EPA developed the following resources for Partners in the Federal Electronics Challenge that may be useful for SEC Partners. 

  • Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Guidance
    This document provides an overview of TCO modeling and guidance on how to use TCO to make purchasing decisions for information technology products.
    
    
  • Total Cost of Ownership Calculator Tool (Microsoft Excel)
    (Scroll down to Total Cost of Ownership Modeling on the EPA page.)
    The TCO Calculator allows you to compare the costs of different options for the lifecycle management of IT equipment with an emphasis on decisions that may have an environmental impact. The TCO Calculator uses a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet format.
    
    
• Integrating Environmental Attributes into Leasing
  This document explains the different types of leasing arrangements and how they may help your organization procure "greener" electronic equipment, extend the product lifecycle, and ensure proper management of equipment at the end-of-life.
  
  
• Partner Case Study: Maine State Government

  In December 2007, Maine State Government became one of the first Partners in the State Electronics Challenge (SEC). SEC program implementation in Maine was particularly notable because it involved all departments in state government, resulting in far-reaching and sustainable changes. Representatives from the Office of Information Technology (IT), Purchasing, Surplus, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the State Planning Office collaborated to make this effort a success. In 2008, Maine was awarded silver-level recognition for its work in computer equipment purchasing and end-of-life management.  
  

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Green Purchasing using EPEAT^®(Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool)

 

Electronic products with EPEAT designations meet high standards for environmental performance, and are, by definition, ENERGY STAR® qualified.  EPEAT designations are available for computers, monitors, and notebook computers; copiers, printers, and multifunction devices; and televisions. The following resources provide information on EPEAT and how to identify and specify EPEAT registered products. There is sample procurement language for computers/displays as well as for imaging equipment. Sample policy language is also available.

Imaging Equipment – Green Procurement Webinar The Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) organized an in-depth webinar to discuss the issues associated with the green procurement of imaging equipment. A recording of the complete webinar is available. The individual PowerPoint presentations are also available.

• Introduction to the State Electronics Challenge, presented by the State Electronics Challenge


• Green Electronics – Imaging Equipment, presented by the Green Electronics Council


• EPEAT for Imaging Equipment, presented by the Responsible Purchasing Network

• Purchasing EPEAT® registered products is as easy as 1-2-3. This simple tutorial will lead you through the steps.

• EPEAT Product Registry
  The EPEAT website provides a searchable database for  purchasers to identify environmentally preferable products, including computers, monitors, and notebook computers, copiers, printers, and multifunction devices, and televisions. 

• EPEAT Fact Sheet
  This fact sheet provides a concise overview of EPEAT.

• Sample Contract Language
  The EPEAT website provides sample language for purchasers to “drop in” to or modify for use in their purchasing contracts. The purchasing specification recommends vendor reporting to help track EPEAT product purchases.

• EPA Region 8 Standard Operating Procedure for Purchasing EPEAT & Environmentally Preferable IT Products ( Word) (PDF)

  This document provides a detailed model for implementing a purchasing program for EPEAT registered products. 

• SEC Partner-only Webinar on EPEAT Purchasing

• Green Electronics Council Endorsement of SEC
  The SEC has received an endorsement from the Green Electronics Council (GEC) a national organization dedicated to partnerships with the electronics industry and other interested stakeholders to implement market-driven systems to recognize and reward environmentally preferable electronic products.  The GEC hosts the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). 

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Power Management of Office Equipment

 

• NEW! Saving Energy with Office Equipment: A Best Practices Resource Guide.
  This guide offers practical, actionable tips for saving energy with computers and computing equipment, as well as peripherals and imaging equipment. It reviews the biggest opportunities, explains them in layman's terms, and provides practical tips for leading an initiative to increase IT energy efficiency.
  
  
• Power Management - Practical Things You Can Do to Save Energy
  This PowerPoint provides practical information on how to activate  energy savings features on computers and monitors within an organization. The presentation also documents the potential return on investments of executing power management.
  
  
• Plug Load Control in Federal Office Buildings
  This report by the U.S. Government Services Administration (GSA), the organization that manages federal facilities, summarizes the results of several strategies to reduce “plug loads” within offices. Desk-based and other office electronics plugged into sockets can draw energy 24/7, and account for about 25% of office electricity. This report and the companion summary of findings demonstrate how power strips can reduce plug loads at workstations by 26%, even when advanced power management was already in place, and nearly 50% in printer rooms and kitchens.
  
  
• Power Management: Strategies for Energy-Efficient Use of Computers & Other Plug-Load Equipment

  This presentation discusses energy efficiency strategies that were implemented in a variety of office and educational settings for a wide range of devices, including water coolers, vending machines, and imaging equipment, and the cost and energy results of the pilot.

• Power Management - Partner Successes and Challenges

  These presentations highlight examples of power management strategies and systems by Challenge Partners.

  • City of Riverside, California
  • Borough of State College, Pennsylvania
    
    
• CSCI Power Management System Design Guide
  The Climate Savers Computing Power Management System Design Guide is a reference document about how to build energy‐efficient, power-managed client platforms.  The guide presents guidelines and recommendations to achieve Standby (S3) state reliability, while reducing Standby, Resume, and Sleep latencies resulting in positive user experiences.
  
  
• Power Management Promotional Poster
  The State Electronics Challenge has a poster available for download that can be customized and posted to educate employees about powering down computers at the end of each day: Power Down (PPT).
  
  
• ENERGY STAR® Power Management Website
  Learn how computer power management, or “sleep” features can save as much as $75 per system annually. Instructions, software, savings calculators, and other resources are available on the website.
  
  
• Answers to Frequent Questions: "Enabling" ENERGY STAR® Features and Power Management

  This document, developed by the Federal Electronics Challenge, provides basic tips on "enabling" ENERGY STAR features on computers and power management settings. A Sample Policy and Guidance Language for Power Management and Powering Down is available.

• Strategies for Energy-Efficient Use of Computers and Other Plug-Load Equipment

  This PowerPoint presentation by the New York State Energy and Resource Development Authority (NYSERDA) was presented on a SEC Partner-only webinar.  It provides an excellent introduction to power consumption and energy efficiency strategies for computers and other office equipment. Case studies illustrate cost savings opportunities for different equipment types found in offices, universities, and school districts.
  

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Power Management Policies & Standard Operating Procedures

• EPA Region 8 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) For IT Equipment Power Management and Reporting (Word) (PDF)

  This document provides a detailed model for a standardized process to monitor and report on power consumption of PC monitors and standard IT devices.

• Enterprise Desktop Power Management Standards
  These comprehensive standards were established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The purpose is to establish minimum power management requirements that will result in significant reductions in the energy consumption of the thousands of Personal Computers (PCs) and workstations used throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Department agencies.
  
  
• Sample Language for Power Management and Powering Down Policies
  This document developed by the Federal Electronics Challenge outlines the benefits of personal computer power management and provides sample language for an Energy Saving Policy focused on personal computers.
  
  
• Sample Information Technology Standard for Power Management
  The United States Department of Justice has signed an Information Technology Standard for Power Management, along with a cover letter introducing the standard. This is an excellent example of a power management policy which outlines roles and responsibilities, implementation guidance, and a limited exemption process.

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Data Center Energy Efficiency

• Enterprise Servers and Data Centers

  This link highlights initiatives of the ENERGY STAR program to promote energy efficiency for enterprise servers and data centers.

• Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency
  This EPA website and report provides data on current trends and costs of data centers and outlines opportunities for improving energy efficiency.

• Data Center Energy Management Website, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  This website provides tools and information to help facilities capture energy-efficiency opportunities in the design of new data centers or retrofitting existing centers. The website includes best practices checklists, self-benchmarking tools, and case studies.

• The Green Grid
  The Green Grid is a consortium of information technology companies and professionals seeking to lower the overall consumption of power in data centers. On their website you can download white papers that provide guidelines, analysis, and metrics for energy efficiency of data centers.

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Reducing Paper Use

Policies & Programs

• EPA Region 8 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) For Network Common Use Printer Settings & Paper Consumption Reporting (Word) (PDF) 

  This document provides a detailed model for a standardized process to address the use of duplex printing and copying, and the subsequent data collection for reporting network common printer paper consumption.

• Acceptable Use Guidelines for Printers – Policy  
  This document sets forth EPA Region 8 policy for responsible management of desktop printers and establishes criteria for the purchase of new desktop printers.  
  
  
• Memo Regarding Removing Desktop Inkjet Printer

Memo from the EPA Region 6, Acting Regional Administrator, explaining the decision to remove excess desktop inkjet printers.

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Strategies for Reducing Paper Consumption

• The Paperless Express Guide, developed by Stopwaste.org, provides a comprehensive strategy for paper use reduction. The Guide includes step by step instructions and sample questionnaires and internal memos.  These samples can also be downloaded from the Paperless Express webpage.
   
• CalRecycle provides a comprehensive list of strategies to reduce office paper consumption. Included on this site is a sample “in-house” waste reduction policy focused on printing and copying and a step-by-step plan for creating a paper reduction campaign in your office.
    
• 8 Things You Can Do To Save Money & Reduce Your Environmental Footprint When You Print!
   
• Additional Things You Can Do to Reduce Paper Usage
  
  
• Network Printer Survey – EPA Region 8   
  EPA Region 8 has engaged in a multi-year effort to decrease the number of printers in its offices.  This survey was an initial step to determine current printer use patterns, priorities, and practices.
  
  
• How to Print Confidential Documents Using a Password  

  EPA Region 6 provides step-by-step instructions for printing confidential documents.

• How to Use the Virtual Printer

  Need to print an email or website so you’ll have a copy?  Did you know that anytime you have the option to print something in any program, you can print to a virtual printer?  EPA Region 6 provides detailed step-by-step instructions about how to take advantage of this paperless strategy are provided.

• File Organization Tips: Suggestions for Managing Files & Folders
  There are many advantages to storing documents electronically. In order to experience all the benefits of using electronic files, you will need to have a strategy for managing files and folders. This article provides some tips that may help with this task.
  
  
• How to Use Short Cut Keys, Including Files you Misplaced (Video)  
  Step-by-step guidance, including showing you how to search and use short cuts already available as part of the computer operating system.  10 minutes.
  
  
• How to Use the Print Screen Feature in Multiple Applications (Video)  
  This 3-minute video demonstrates how to use the print screen feature to enhance communications, appointments, and save resources and time.
  
  
• How to Turn Paper Files into Electronic Files (Video)  
  A demonstration of how to use scanners to make PDF files. 3 minutes.

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Case Studies

• Case Study – Electronics Stewardship Policy (Word)  
  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 6 analyzed the environmental and financial impact of printers and developed and implemented a strategy for printing management that resulted in significant environmental and financial benefits.  
  
  
• The Responsible Purchasing Network has developed two case studies that report on power management and decreased paper usage in office settings:
  • Law Office  
  • Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

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Educational Posters

• Double-Sided Copying & Printing (PPT)

  The State Electronics Challenge has a poster available for download that can be customized and posted to educate employees about double-sided copying and printing.
  

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SEC Partner-only Webinars on Printer Management

• Print Management – Stephen Sturdivant, EPA Region 6 – May 17, 2012  
  
  
• Printer & Paper Reductions – Kim Bartels, EPA Region 8 – May 17, 2012
  
  
• Ink Savings as Part of a Paper & Energy Management Program, March 2, 2011. This PowerPoint presentation details a pilot program run by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, how it worked and the results.
  

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General Paper Resources

• Environmental Paper Network
  This website provides educational materials and tools for evaluating and reducing paper use, and purchasing environmentally preferable paper.
  
  
• City of Seattle Paper Cuts Campaign
  This City of Seattle, Washington website provides a wealth of information about paper conservation and best practices in the City of Seattle and beyond. From the site, you can access Seattle’s paper policies and Executive Order, as well as Frequently Asked Questions.  The resource page also provides links to federal, regional, state, and university paper conservation programs and best practices.
  
  
• Environmental Defense Paper Calculator
  Environmental Defense’s Paper Calculator is a web-based tool that enables organizations to understand and improve their daily paper use. For each of thirteen major grades of paper and paperboard, it allows the user to compare the environmental impacts of papers made with different levels of recycled content, and to see how using less paper or changing other specifications can reduce environmental impacts.
  
  
• Paper Standards Comparison Chart
  The Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) has developed a Paper Standards Comparison Chart about paper eco-labels. There are currently over 300 unique eco‐labels that certify many different types of products. RPN created this Paper Standards Comparison Chart to reduce the confusion associated with environmentally preferable paper and allow purchasers to better understand the characteristics of relevant eco‐labels. The chart focuses on helping purchasers identify labels that directly address the environmental attributes of paper and paper production.

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Extending Product Life

• Extending the Life of Electronic Equipment
  This resource developed by the Federal Electronics Challenge provides guidance on extending the life of electronic equipment.
  
  
• PowerPoint Presentation about extending the life of electronic equipment.
  
  
• Keeping Old Computers Alive
  This article by TechSoup provides tips on increasing the useful life of computers by performing simple tasks such as removing unnecessary software, keeping anti-virus and anti-spyware programs up to date, and upgrading hardware.

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Reuse & Donation

There may be useful life left in your unwanted equipment. Reuse and donation programs help put useful equipment into the hands of organizations and individuals that can use them. 

• Where Can I Donate Computers and Cell Phones?
  This U.S.EPA site provides links to organizations that provide reuse services or link donors and recipient organizations.
  
  
• Sample Instructions to Recipients of Donated Equipment
  This document, authored by the Federal Electronics Challenge, provides an example of the type of instructions that an organization might provide to the recipient of its equipment.
  

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Recycling

Electronics contain reusable materials as well as hazardous components that may pose a threat to the environment and human health if not disposed of properly. Ensuring responsible electronics recycling is good for the environment and your facility. The following resources will help you develop a recycling program and to select a reputable electronics recycler.

• Third Party Certification of Electronics Recyclers

The SEC end-of-life program requirements call for the use of a recycler that has achieved third-party certification  to the Responsible Recycling Practices (R2), the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment®, or R2/RIOS. This document explains what third-party certification means, and provides links to finding recyclers that have achieved certification.

• Responsible Recycling Demo E Scrap Processing & Why Certification Matters (Video)

  This is a recording of an SEC Partner-only webinar.  Be advised this is a large file and will take several minutes to download.

• Several Partner-only webinars have discussed certification and of end-of-life requirements under the Challenge:
  
  • Responsible Recycling Demonstration E Scrap Processing & Why Certification Matters
    This is a recording of a webinar. Please be advised this is a large file and will take several minutes to download.
  • Metech Recycling Demonstration (Video)
  • Responsible Recycling Requirements & Third Party Certification
  • The R2/RIOS® Program Certified Electronics Recycler®
  • Responsible End-of-Life Management: How E-waste Recycler Certification Makes it Easy to Fulfill the SEC Requirements

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Media Sanitization

• Media Sanitization Considerations for End-of-Life Electronics

  This resource, developed by the Federal Electronics Challenge, discusses media sanitization options, including NIST recommendations based on security categorization and destination.

• NIST Guidelines for Media Sanitization

  The National Institute for Standards & Technology (NIST) provides recommendations for computer security, including media sanitization in its publication SP 800-88.

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Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator

• The Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (EEBC) was developed by the U.S. EPA to assist organizations in estimating the environmental benefits of greening their purchase, use and recycling of computers, monitors, and imaging equipment.
  
  The EEBC estimates the environmental and economic benefits of:
  
  • Purchasing Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registered products
  • Enabling power management features on computers and monitors above default percentages
  • Extending the life of equipment beyond baseline values
  • Reusing computers, monitors and cell phones
  • Recycling computers, monitors, cell phones, imaging equipment, televisions, and loads of mixed electronic products



There are different calculators depending on what type of equipment you are interested in:
EEBC Computer (Version 4) Use this calculator to calculate environmental results for desktop computers, notebook computers, cathode ray tube monitors, and LED monitors.
EEBC Imaging Equipment (Version 1) Use this calculator to calculate the environmental results for color multi-function devices, black and white multi-function devices, and black and white printers.

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