University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
OP-12: Electronics Purchasing

Institution purchases electronic products that are:

• EPEAT registered,

• Third party certified under a multi-attribute sustainability standard or ISO Type 1 ecolabel developed/administered by a Global Ecolabelling Network or ISEAL Alliance member organization (e.g., Blue Angel, TCO Certified, UL Ecologo), AND/OR

• Labeled under a single-attribute standard for electrical equipment (e.g., ENERGY STAR, EU Energy A or higher, or local equivalent).

Included are desktop and notebook/laptop computers, displays, thin clients, tablets/slates, televisions, mobile phones, and imaging equipment (copiers, digital duplicators, facsimile machines, mailing machines, multifunction devices, and printers and scanners). Specialized equipment that EPEAT does not register may be excluded.

A product that meets multiple criteria (e.g., a product that is both EPEAT registered and ENERGY STAR labeled) should not be double-counted.

This credit applies to all institutions. 

An institution earns the maximum of 1 point available for this credit for purchasing exclusively EPEAT Gold products and/or products that are third party certified at the highest achievable level under a multi-attribute sustainability standard. Incremental points are awarded based on the percentage of purchased products that are EPEAT registered at each level, third party certified under multi-attribute sustainability standards, and/or labeled under single-attribute standards, as outlined below. For example, an institution that purchased 50 percent EPEAT Gold and 50 percent uncertified products would earn 0.5 points (half of the points available).

Points for this credit are calculated automatically in the STARS Reporting Tool as follows:

Timeframe

Report the most recent data available from within the three years prior to the anticipated date of submission.

Sampling and Data Standards

Institutions may track purchases over a full one-year time period, report average annual expenditures over a two or three year period, or estimate annual expenditures based on a representative sample. When using a sample, institutions should strive to ensure that the sample recognizes seasonal and other variations that influence purchasing behavior.

At a minimum, the figures provided must include electronics expenditures by the institution’s central purchasing unit, department, portal, or vendor. Other electronics expenditures may be excluded at the institution’s discretion to simplify reporting.