Federal Electronics Management
Federal Agencies Could Improve Participation in EPA's Initiatives for Environmentally Preferable Electronic Products Gao ID: GAO-10-196T October 27, 2009Advancing technology has led to increasing sales of new electronic devices. With this increase comes the dilemma of managing them at the end of their useful lives. If discarded with common trash, a number of environmental impacts may result, ranging from the loss of valuable resources to the potential release of toxic substances, such as lead. If recycled, they may be exported to countries with waste management systems that are less protective of human health and the environment that those of the United States. The federal government is the world's largest purchaser of electronics, spending nearly $75 billion on electronic products and services in 2009. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has helped implement several product stewardship initiatives to encourage responsible management of electronic products in all three phases of a product's lifecycle--procurement, operation, and end-of-life disposal. In response to a request to provide information on federal procurement and management of electronic products, GAO's testimony describes (1) EPA's electronic product stewardship initiatives, (2) federal agency participation in them, and (3) opportunities for strengthening participation. GAO's testimony is based on its prior work and updated with data from EPA. In our prior report, EPA agreed that increasing federal participation in its initiatives could be encouraged. Agency officials still agree with this finding.
Federal government approaches to ensuring environmentally responsible management of electronic equipment from procurement through disposal rely heavily on two interrelated initiatives. The first initiative, the electronic product environmental assessment tool (EPEAT), was developed along the lines of EPA's and the Department of Energy's Energy Star program and assists federal procurement officials in comparing and selecting computers and monitors with environmental attributes that also routinely save money through reduced energy usage over the products' lives. The second initiative--the federal electronics challenge (FEC)--helps federal agencies realize the benefits of EPEAT-rated electronics by providing resources to help agencies extend these products' life spans, operate them in an energy efficient way, and expand markets for recovered materials by recycling them at end of life. The first 5 years of EPA's initiatives have resulted in notable energy savings and environmental benefits reported by participating agencies. According to facilities that reported information to EPA and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive in 2008, 88 percent of all desktop computers, laptop computers, and monitors the facilities purchased or leased were EPEAT-registered. EPEAT participation reportedly resulted in procurement officials purchasing 95 percent of their monitors with Energy Star power management features enabled and 38 percent of computers with this feature. In addition, 16 federal agencies and 215 federal facilities--representing about one-third of all federal employees--participated in the FEC to some extent in 2008. As a result, participants reported that 50 percent of electronics taken out of service were donated for reuse, 40 percent were recycled, 8 percent were sold, and 2 percent were disposed of. The environmentally responsible choices associated with EPEAT and FEC resulted in a reported $40.3 million in cost savings for participants. The EPEAT and FEC accomplishments are steps in the right direction, but opportunities exist to increase the breadth and depth of federal participation. First, agencies and facilities representing about two-thirds of the federal workforce are not participating in these promising initiatives, despite instructions to do so in implementing Executive Order 13423. Second, few participating agencies and facilities maximize these programs' resources and their potential benefits. For some, participation simply means the agency identified its current practices for managing electronic products and set goals to improve them. Moreover, as the FEC aims to support participating agencies and facilities, it does not impose consequences for those that do not meet their goals. In fact, only 34 FEC facility partners showed they managed electronic products in 2008 in accordance with FEC goals for at least one of the three lifecycle phases, and only 2 facilities showed they did so for all phases. For perspective, GAO calculated that if federal agencies replaced 500,000 desktop and laptop computers and monitors with EPEAT-registered products and operated and disposed of them in accordance with FEC goals, they could achieve substantially greater energy reductions and cost savings.
GAO-10-196T, Federal Electronics Management: Federal Agencies Could Improve Participation in EPA's Initiatives for Environmentally Preferable Electronic Products
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Testimony:
Before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and
Procurement, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of
Representatives:
United States Government Accountability Office:
GAO:
For Release on Delivery Expected at 9:30 a.m. EDT:
Tuesday, October 27, 2009:
Federal Electronics Management:
Federal Agencies Could Improve Participation in EPA's Initiatives for
Environmentally Preferable Electronic Products:
Statement of John B. Stephenson, Director:
Natural Resources and Environment:
GAO-10-196T:
GAO Highlights:
Highlights of [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-
196T], a testimony before the Subcommittee on Government Management,
Organization, and Procurement, Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform, House of Representatives.
Why GAO Did This Study:
Advancing technology has led to increasing sales of new electronic
devices. With this increase comes the dilemma of managing them at the
end of their useful lives. If discarded with common trash, a number of
environmental impacts may result, ranging from the loss of valuable
resources to the potential release of toxic substances, such as lead.
If recycled, they may be exported to countries with waste management
systems that are less protective of human health and the environment
that those of the United States.
The federal government is the world‘s largest purchaser of electronics,
spending nearly $75 billion on electronic products and services in
2009. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has helped implement
several product stewardship initiatives to encourage responsible
management of electronic products in all three phases of a product‘s
lifecycle”procurement, operation, and end-of-life disposal. In response
to a request to provide information on federal procurement and
management of electronic products, GAO‘s testimony describes (1) EPA‘s
electronic product stewardship initiatives, (2) federal agency
participation in them, and (3) opportunities for strengthening
participation. GAO‘s testimony is based on its prior work and updated
with data from EPA. In our prior report, EPA agreed that increasing
federal participation in its initiatives could be encouraged. Agency
officials still agree with this finding.
What GAO Found:
Federal government approaches to ensuring environmentally responsible
management of electronic equipment from procurement through disposal
rely heavily on two interrelated initiatives. The first initiative, the
electronic product environmental assessment tool (EPEATŪ), was
developed along the lines of EPA‘s and the Department of Energy‘s
Energy Star program and assists federal procurement officials in
comparing and selecting computers and monitors with environmental
attributes that also routinely save money through reduced energy usage
over the products‘ lives. The second initiative”the federal electronics
challenge (FEC)”helps federal agencies realize the benefits of EPEAT-
rated electronics by providing resources to help agencies extend these
products‘ life spans, operate them in an energy efficient way, and
expand markets for recovered materials by recycling them at end of
life.
The first 5 years of EPA‘s initiatives have resulted in notable energy
savings and environmental benefits reported by participating agencies.
According to facilities that reported information to EPA and the Office
of the Federal Environmental Executive in 2008, 88 percent of all
desktop computers, laptop computers, and monitors the facilities
purchased or leased were EPEAT-registered. EPEAT participation
reportedly resulted in procurement officials purchasing 95 percent of
their monitors with Energy Star power management features enabled and
38 percent of computers with this feature. In addition, 16 federal
agencies and 215 federal facilities”representing about one-third of all
federal employees”participated in the FEC to some extent in 2008. As a
result, participants reported that 50 percent of electronics taken out
of service were donated for reuse, 40 percent were recycled, 8 percent
were sold, and 2 percent were disposed of. The environmentally
responsible choices associated with EPEAT and FEC resulted in a
reported $40.3 million in cost savings for participants.
The EPEAT and FEC accomplishments are steps in the right direction, but
opportunities exist to increase the breadth and depth of federal
participation. First, agencies and facilities representing about two-
thirds of the federal workforce are not participating in these
promising initiatives, despite instructions to do so in implementing
Executive Order 13423. Second, few participating agencies and
facilities maximize these programs‘ resources and their potential
benefits. For some, participation simply means the agency identified
its current practices for managing electronic products and set goals to
improve them. Moreover, as the FEC aims to support participating
agencies and facilities, it does not impose consequences for those that
do not meet their goals. In fact, only 34 FEC facility partners showed
they managed electronic products in 2008 in accordance with FEC goals
for at least one of the three lifecycle phases, and only 2 facilities
showed they did so for all phases. For perspective, GAO calculated that
if federal agencies replaced 500,000 desktop and laptop computers and
monitors with EPEAT-registered products and operated and disposed of
them in accordance with FEC goals, they could achieve substantially
greater energy reductions and cost savings.
View [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-196T] or key
components. For more information, contact John B. Stephenson at (202)
512-3841 or stephensonj@gao.gov.
[End of section]
Chairwoman Watson and Members of the Subcommittee:
I am pleased to be here today to discuss findings from our work on
federal procurement of environmentally preferable electronic products
and ways in which such procurement can lessen the impacts of electronic
waste (e-waste) disposal. The federal government is the world's largest
purchaser of information technology equipment, annually spending nearly
$75 billion on electronic products and services. Through its purchasing
decisions, the federal government has substantial leverage to enhance
recycling infrastructures and stimulate markets for environmentally
preferable electronic products. Along these lines, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has helped implement several product
stewardship initiatives under its Resource Conservation Challenge.
These initiatives encourage environmentally responsible management of
electronic products from "cradle to grave"--that is, from the initial
procurement of environmentally preferable products, to their operation
in an energy efficient manner, and finally to their reuse or recycling
in an environmentally safe way.
Disposing of e-waste has become an important issue as rapidly advancing
technology has led to increasing sales of new electronic products--in
particular, computers, monitors, and handheld devices such as cell
phones. With this increase comes the dilemma of managing these products
at the end of their useful lives. Little information exists, for
example, on whether obsolete electronic products are reused, stored, or
disposed of in landfills. As we previously reported, if discarded with
common trash, a number of adverse environmental impacts may result,
ranging from the loss of valuable resources in the electronics such as
copper, gold, and aluminum to the potential for harmful substances such
as cadmium, lead, and mercury to enter the environment.[Footnote 1] If
donated or recycled, these products may eventually be irresponsibly
exported to countries without modern landfills and with waste
management systems that are less protective of human health and the
environment than those in the United States. In our August 2008 report,
we showed that e-waste exported from the United States to developing
countries, such as those in Southeast Asia, is often dismantled under
dangerous health conditions, using methods like open-air incineration
and acid baths to extract precious metals.[Footnote 2]
Our testimony, which is based on our prior work and updated with data
from EPA,[Footnote 3] provides observations on (1) EPA's electronic
product stewardship initiatives, (2) the extent of federal agency
participation in them, and (3) opportunities for strengthening
participation. Our prior work was conducted in accordance with
generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards
require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient,
appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and
conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence
obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions
based on our audit objectives.
Background:
The purchase price of electronic products primarily reflects their
technological capabilities; it does not include all of the substantial
costs that are incurred throughout the equipment's life. A study by
Gartner Research, for example, shows that computers costing less than
$1,000 typically have a total cost of ownership of more than $5,000 per
year when all the energy and maintenance costs are included.[Footnote
4] Furthermore, the purchase price of electronics does not include the
often substantial cost of disposal. Lifecycle costs are high, in part,
because electronic products are not always designed to facilitate
recycling.
EPA estimates that across the federal government 10,000 computers are
disposed of each week. Once such products reach the end of their
original useful lives, federal agencies have several options for
disposing of them. Agencies generally can donate their reusable
equipment to schools or other nonprofit educational institutions; give
them to a recycler; exchange them with other federal, state, or local
agencies; sometimes trade them with vendors to offset the costs of new
products; or sell them through the General Services Administration's
(GSA) surplus property program, which sells surplus federal government
equipment at public auctions.
Federal agencies, however, are not required to track the ultimate
destination of their donated or recycled e-waste. Instead, agency
officials generally consider this to be the recipient organization's
responsibility. Consequently, they often have little assurance that
their e-waste is ultimately disposed of in an environmentally
responsible manner. In our prior work, we found that some U.S.
electronics recyclers--including ones that publicly tout their
exemplary environmental practices--were apparently willing to
circumvent U.S. hazardous waste export laws and export e-waste to
developing countries. Specifically, we posed as foreign buyers of
broken cathode-ray tube computer monitors--which are considered
hazardous waste and illegal to export without a permit--in Hong Kong,
India, Pakistan, and other countries; and 43 U.S. companies expressed
willingness to export these items. Some of the companies were willing
to export this equipment in apparent violation of U.S. law. As we
showed in our August 2008 report,[Footnote 5] equipment exported to
developing countries may be handled in a way that threatens human
health and the environment.
Two Promising Initiatives Assist Federal Agencies in Procuring,
Operating, and Disposing of Electronic Products in an Environmentally
Preferable Manner:
As we reported in November 2005,[Footnote 6] existing federal
government approaches to ensuring environmentally responsible
management of electronic equipment from procurement through disposal
rely heavily on two interrelated EPA electronic product stewardship
initiatives. The first, the electronic product environmental assessment
tool (EPEATŪ), assists federal procurement officials in comparing and
selecting laptop computers, desktop computers, and monitors with
environmentally preferable attributes. The second, the federal
electronics challenge (FEC), helps federal agencies fully utilize the
benefits of EPEAT-rated electronics by providing resources to help
agencies extend these products' life spans, operate them in an energy
efficient way, and expand markets for recycling and recovered materials
by recycling them at end of life.[Footnote 7]
EPEAT was developed along the lines of EPA's and the Department of
Energy's (DOE) Energy Star program in which the federal government
rewards manufacturers of energy-efficient products that ultimately save
money and protect the environment by providing them with a label for
their products that certifies these benefits. EPEAT-registered products
are awarded a bronze, silver, or gold certification for increasing
levels of energy efficiency and environmental performance. Using EPEAT,
an on-line tool, federal procurement officials can evaluate the design
of an electronic product for energy conservation, reduced toxicity,
extended lifespan, and end of life recycling, among other things. For
example, EPEAT can help agency procurement officials choose electronic
products with attributes that make the products easier to upgrade. Some
computers are now being built with modular features so that hard
drives, processors, memory cards, and other components can be upgraded
rather than replaced--thus extending their lifecycles. Agency
procurement officials can also use EPEAT to choose among products that
are designed to make recycling less expensive, such as those without
glues or adhesives, with common fasteners and "snap-in" features, and
with easily separable plastic and metal components--making their
disassembly easier and recycling less costly. Finally, EPEAT can help
procurement officials identify electronic products that contain less
hazardous materials, which can also lessen their disposal and recycling
costs.
Products with these attributes can, in many cases, save agencies money
over the products' lifecycles when compared to those with similar
technological characteristics but without environmental attributes. For
example, according to one computer vendor, a particular desktop
computer with energy-saving attributes cost $35 more than a similar
model that one federal program office had been buying; however, it will
save $15 per year in energy costs. Thus, after slightly more than 2
years of use, the EPEAT-rated desktop computer can save more money in
energy savings than the additional increase in purchase price and
result in measurable environmental benefits.
Currently, in the electronic products industry, purchasers can choose
from 170 desktop computers, 637 laptop computers, and 487 monitors that
meet one of the three EPEAT levels of environmental performance. The
breadth of EPEAT products provides procurement officials with a range
of devices to meet their technology and budgetary needs. For example,
agencies have the flexibility to choose liquid crystal display monitors
that meet all the required EPEAT criteria as well as numerous optional
criteria, such as the lower levels of mercury in light switches and a
reduced number of different types of plastics--attributes that can make
recycling easier and less costly. Agencies can also choose other
monitors that meet these and other criteria, including additional
reductions in toxic materials, along with end-of-life services such as
a take-back and reuse program for packaging material. Of note, these
different types of monitors can meet different technology needs, as
there are some differences in display characteristics and power
consumption.
As we said earlier, federal agencies also have the opportunity to
participate in FEC--a program that first relies heavily on EPEAT for
procurement considerations and then provides guidance to participants
on how to extend electronic product life spans, operate them in an
energy-efficient way, and reuse or recycle them at end-of-life. FEC
differs from EPEAT in that where EPEAT assists officials in procuring
environmentally preferable products, FEC provides participating
agencies and facilities with resources to help ensure that electronic
products are operated and disposed of in a manner that fully utilizes
the environmental attributes of the EPEAT product.[Footnote 8] FEC has
two partner levels: agency and facility. To participate, executive
branch agencies or their subcomponents must register.
According to EPA documents, participation can provide agency officials
greater assurance that the e-waste they donate to schools, or send for
recycling, is ultimately disposed of in an environmentally responsible
manner.[Footnote 9] For instance, in following FEC guidance,
participants are to provide recipients of donated equipment with
instructions on how to have the equipment recycled responsibly and how
to verify that responsible recycling occurs--procedures known as
"downstream auditing." When donating equipment, FEC instructs agencies
and facilities to ensure that recipients contact local or state
environmental or solid waste agencies to obtain a database of vendors
who recycle e-waste once the equipment is no longer useful to the
recipient organization.
FEC also recommends that participating agencies and facilities instruct
recipients to avoid arrangements with recyclers that are unable or
unwilling to share references and cannot explain the final destination
of the e-waste they collect. When recycling equipment, participants are
to determine how much electronic equipment the recyclers actually
recycle, versus the amount they sell to other parties. If the majority
of the incoming e-waste is sold, the recycling facility may be sending
a significant amount of e-waste into landfills or for export overseas.
In addition, FEC instructs participants to physically inspect potential
recycler's facilities. E-waste in trash containers, for example, may
indicate that the facility is not recycling it, and the presence of
shipping containers may indicate that the facility exports it.
Federal Agencies and Facilities Have Increased Participation in EPEAT
and FEC in Recent Years:
As of December 31, 2008, EPA reported that 16 federal agencies and 215
federal facilities--representing slightly more than one-third of all
federal employees--participated in the FEC to some extent. In addition,
according to the 128 facilities that reported data to EPA, a majority
of electronic products purchased during 2008 were EPEAT-registered.
This is a sizeable increase from 2005, when we reported that 12 federal
agencies and 61 individual federal facilities participated in FEC.
Participating agencies include the Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland
Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, Treasury, Transportation, and
Veterans Affairs, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency,
Executive Office of the President, General Services Administration, and
the United States Postal Service.[Footnote 10]
The benefits of federal agency and facility participation in EPEAT and
FEC offer a glimpse of what can be attained through greater federal
involvement. For instance, in 2008 FEC participants reported to EPA and
the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive that 88 percent of
all desktop computers, laptop computers, and monitors they purchased or
leased were EPEAT registered. In addition, FEC participants reported
that they extended computer life spans so that 63 percent of computers
had at least a 4-year useful life. Procurement officials reported
purchasing 95 percent of their monitors with energy-efficient power
management features enabled and 38 percent of computers with this
feature. Finally, participants reported that 50 percent of electronics
taken out of service were donated for reuse; 40 percent were recycled;
8 percent were sold; and 2 percent were disposed of. Of those recycled,
95 percent were reportedly done so in an environmentally sound manner.
These environmentally preferable choices from "cradle to grave"
resulted in $40.3 million in cost savings reported by participating
agencies and facilities, energy savings that EPA found to be equivalent
to electric power for more than 35,000 U.S. households for 1 year, and
emissions savings equivalent to removing nearly 21,000 passenger cars
from the road for 1 year.[Footnote 11]
Through participation in the FEC, numerous federal facilities have
purchased greener electronic products, reduced the environmental
impacts of electronic products during use, and managed obsolete
electronics in an environmentally safe way. For example, officials with
the Bonneville Power Administration within DOE reported to EPA that
they adopted several environmentally responsible practices associated
with the procurement and operation of electronic equipment. First,
administration officials extended the lifespan of agency computers from
3 to 4 years. With over 500 computers procured each year at an annual
cost of more than $500,000, an administration official said that
extending computer life spans generated substantial savings.
Additionally, Bonneville Power Administration officials procured new
flat-screen monitors instead of cathode-ray tube monitors, reducing
both hazardous waste tonnage and end of life recycling costs. According
to Bonneville Power Administration officials, they expect to save at
least $153 per unit over the life of each new monitor.
EPA's region 9 facility in San Francisco, California--a 20-story office
building that houses nearly 900 EPA employees--also reported achieving
substantial environmental benefits through participation in the FEC.
The facility's energy subcommittee recommended an audit, which found
that enabling computer and monitor power management features, such as
those configuring computer monitors to the "sleep" mode instead of the
screen saver mode, could save about 10 percent in total energy usage at
no cost. In addition, with funding eliminated for new electronics
purchases, region 9 staff reported that they reused 30 percent to 40
percent of existing electronics and extended the average lifespan of
computers to 5 years. Finally, region 9 staff stated that they
successfully recycled more than 10 tons of electronics that had been
stored in an offsite warehouse. Although the cost of safely recycling
the large quantity of electronics was high and regional staff found it
difficult to locate a reputable recycler, EPA headquarters provided
funds for the recycling costs and helped find a qualified vendor.
Opportunities Exist for More Federal Agencies and Facilities to Join
EPA's Initiatives, and Current Participants Can Significantly
Strengthen Their Participation:
The EPEAT and FEC accomplishments achieved to date are steps in the
right direction, but opportunities exist to significantly increase the
breadth and depth of federal agency and facility participation. First,
agencies and facilities representing almost two-thirds of the federal
workforce are not yet participating in these promising initiatives,
despite Executive Order 13423.[Footnote 12] This executive order,
signed by the President on January 24, 2007, generally requires that
each agency (1) meets at least 95 percent of its requirements with
EPEAT-registered products; (2) enables the energy saving features on
agency computers and monitors; (3) establishes and implements policies
to extend the useful life of agency electronic equipment; and (4) uses
environmentally sound practices with respect to disposition of agency
electronic equipment that has reached the end of its useful life. To
implement these requirements, the Office of Management and Budget
directed each agency and its facilities to either become a partner in
the FEC or to implement an equivalent electronics stewardship program
that addresses purchase, operation and maintenance, and end-of-life
management strategies for electronic assets consistent with FEC's
recommended practices and guidelines.
Second, most of agencies and facilities that participate do not fully
maximize these programs' resources or the environmental benefits that
can be achieved. While we acknowledge the efforts of FEC participants,
the FEC statistics on participation may overstate these participants'
adherence to the goals of the program, and their successes must be
taken in context. Participation by 16 agencies and 215 facilities
(representing slightly more than one-third of federal employees), for
example, does not mean that all electronic products they purchase are
procured, operated, and recycled or reused at end of life in an
environmentally preferable fashion. Instead, participation simply means
these agencies have identified their current practices for managing
electronic products and set goals to improve them. Moreover, as the FEC
is an initiative aimed to encourage and support participating agencies
and facilities, it does not impose consequences on those agencies who
do not meet their goals. As a practical matter, only 34 FEC facility
participants (16 percent of participants) reported to EPA that they
managed electronic products in accordance with FEC goals for at least
one of the three lifecycle phases--procurement, operation, or disposal--
with only 2 facilities showing they did this for all three phases in
2008.[Footnote 13]
The need for increased federal participation in these initiatives--in
both breadth and depth--is further underscored by the federal
government e-waste that continues to appear in online auctions and may
subsequently end up overseas. As we reported in August 2008,[Footnote
14] significant demand exists for used electronics from the United
States. We observed thousands of requests for such items on e-commerce
Web sites--mostly from Asian countries, such as China and India, but
also from some African countries. In our prior work, we showed that
these countries often lack the capacity to safely handle and dispose of
e-waste, as disassembly practices in these countries often involve the
open-air burning of wire to recover copper and open acid baths for
separating metals. These practices expose people to lead and other
hazardous materials. In the several weeks leading up to this hearing,
we monitored an e-commerce Web site where surplus federal government
equipment is auctioned and found nearly 450,000 pounds of cathode-ray
tube monitors for sale--items that, based on our prior work, have a
high likelihood of being exported.
For perspective, using EPA's environmental benefits calculator[Footnote
15] we calculated the benefits that would result under a hypothetical
scenario in which federal agencies replaced 500,000 desktop and laptop
computers and computer monitors using EPEAT procurement criteria for
each tier of environmental performance-- bronze, silver, and gold. As
part of this calculation, we added the environmental benefits attained
if federal agencies operated all EPEAT units in an energy efficient
manner (i.e., enabled Energy Star features) and reused and recycled the
end-of-life electronics they replaced in accordance with FEC goals. We
found that substantial energy savings and environmental benefits would
result at all three EPEAT tiers. Specifically, greater participation
could lead to environmental benefits 5-to 10-times greater than the
accomplishments of FEC participants in 2008 described earlier.
Additionally, if federal agencies were to purchase EPEAT-bronze,
silver, or gold products, according to the EPA environmental benefits
calculator, they would save approximately $207 million at each level of
EPEAT performance in energy usage and realize other cost, waste, and
emissions reductions over the useful lives of these products. Table 1
shows the net energy savings and reductions in raw material extraction,
greenhouse gas emissions, and toxic materials that would result if
agencies and facilities recycled electronic products and replaced them
with EPEAT-rated units, as compared to non-EPEAT computers and
monitors.[Footnote 16]
Table 1: Environmental Benefits of Agencies Procuring Computers and
Monitors that Meet EPEAT's Bronze, Silver, or Gold Level of
Environmental Performance and Operating and Disposing of Them in
Accordance with FEC Goals:
EPEAT-Bronze: Procurement;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 383,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 685,000,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 72,800,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 41,500.
EPEAT-Bronze: Operation;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 1,010,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 1,750,000,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 192,000,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 2,540.
EPEAT-Bronze: Disposal;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 794,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 10,800,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 42,400,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 8,310.
EPEAT-Bronze: Bronze Total;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 2,187,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 2,445,800,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 307,200,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 52,350.
EPEAT-Silver: Procurement;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 388,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 686,000,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 73,000,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 41,500.
EPEAT-Silver: Operation;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 1,010,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 1,750,000,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 192,000,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 2,540.
EPEAT-Silver: Disposal;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 794,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 10,800,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 42,400,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 8,310.
EPEAT-Silver: Silver Total;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 2,192,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 2,446,800,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 307,400,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 52,350.
EPEAT-Gold: Procurement;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 393,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 687,000,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 73,300,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 41,500.
EPEAT-Gold: Operation;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 1,010,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 1,750,000,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 192,000,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 2,540.
EPEAT-Gold: Disposal;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 794,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 10,800,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 42,400,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 8,310.
EPEAT-Gold: Gold Total;
Reduction in Energy Usage (kWh): 2,197,000,000;
Reduction in Raw Material Extraction (kg): 2,447,800,000;
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (kg): 307,700,000;
Reduction in Toxic Materials (kg): 52,350.
Source: EPA environmental benefits calculator.
[End of table]
To help agency officials put in context the environmental and economic
benefits that can result from using environmentally preferable
electronic products, the EPA environmental benefits calculator also
shows the benefits of procurement, operation, and disposal in
accordance with FEC goals using common equivalents. Table 2 shows the
environmental benefits of these practices when measured as the amount
of household energy usage saved annually and the volume of automobile
emissions saved annually.
Table 2: Common Equivalents to the Environmental Benefits of Procuring,
Operating, and Disposing of Computers and Monitors in Accordance with
FEC Goals:
EPEAT-Bronze;
Number of U.S. Households' Energy Usage Saved: 182,796;
Number of Passenger Cars Off Roadways: 206,257.
EPEAT-Silver;
Number of U.S. Households' Energy Usage Saved: 183,151;
Number of Passenger Cars Off Roadways: 206,349.
EPEAT-Gold;
Number of U.S. Households' Energy Usage Saved: 183,570;
Number of Passenger Cars Off Roadways: 206,543.
Source: EPA environmental benefits calculator.
[End of table]
Concluding Observations:
Understandably, when procuring electronics in a challenging fiscal
environment, agency officials may give greater weight to price than
environmental attributes. However, many of the environmental and human
health problems associated with e-waste disposal can be averted through
environmentally preferable procurement. Using EPEAT to purchase
environmentally-friendly products, agency purchasers can often
simultaneously meet their technology needs, benefit the environment,
and realize dollar savings over the products' lives. Using the success
of the Energy Star program as a precedent, the federal government has
taken steps to encourage environmentally preferable choices. We also
applaud federal agency and facility donation and recycling practices
for providing valuable learning tools to thousands of school children
while, at the same time, providing at least some protection against
their equipment ending up in landfills or overseas. Such programs have
also demonstrated that relatively simple and inexpensive steps can help
ensure that donated and recycled e-waste is ultimately managed in a
responsible manner. In particular, the FEC provides a framework through
which participants can help ensure responsible recycling through
downstream auditing of recipient organizations' disposal practices and
by following guidance on how to select responsible recyclers. The
federal government has the opportunity to lead by example and to
leverage its substantial market power by broadening and deepening
agency and facility participation in EPA electronic product stewardship
initiatives, but meaningful results will only occur if federal agencies
and facilities fully participate and utilize these promising
initiatives' resources.
Ms. Chairwoman, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be happy
to respond to any questions that you or other Members of the
Subcommittee may have at this time.
Contact and Staff Acknowledgements:
Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public
Affairs may be found on the last page of this statement. For further
information about this testimony, please contact John Stephenson,
Director, Natural Resources and Environment at (202) 512-3841 or
stephensonj@gao.gov. Key contributors to this statement were Steve
Elstein (Assistant Director), Nathan Anderson, Elizabeth Beardsley,
Alison O'Neill, and Kiki Theodoropoulos.
[End of section]
Footnotes:
[1] GAO, Electronic Waste: Strengthening the Role of the Federal
Government in Encouraging Recycling and Reuse, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-47] (Washington, D.C.: Nov.
10, 2005).
[2] GAO, Electronic Waste: EPA Needs to Better Control Harmful U.S.
Exports through Stronger Enforcement and More Comprehensive Regulation,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-1044] (Washington,
D.C.: Aug. 28, 2008).
[3] For updated EPA data, we examined EPA's procedures for accurately
entering federal agency-and facility-provided data into its database,
synthesizing the data, and using them for any calculations; we also
interviewed EPA staff on steps they take to ensure the reliability of
the data. We believe the data reported to EPA are sufficiently reliable
for the purpose of updating information from our prior work.
[4] "Why is Total Cost of Ownership Important?" John Taylor Baily and
Stephen R. Heidt. Darwin Magazine, November 2003.
[5] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-1044].
[6] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-47].
[7] FEC is sponsored by EPA and the White House Office of the Federal
Environmental Executive.
[8] Resources include instruction sheets, tips, and checklists, among
other things, which participants can choose to use.
[9] If a federal agency or facility chooses to achieve gold-level
participation in FEC, it must document that for all electronics
recycling it used EPA-preferred recyclers, such as the recycling
electronics and asset disposition services, federal prison industries
(UNICOR), a manufacturer's take-back service for EPEAT-registered
electronics, or an electronics recycler that the participating agency
or facility has conducted a physical on-site review of in the last 3
years.
[10] Some facilities within the Department of State, the Social
Security Administration, and the National Aeronautical and Space
Administration participate in the FEC, but these agencies have not
registered with the FEC signifying participation.
[11] EPA generated these results using agency-and facility-reported
data entered into the agency's environmental benefits calculator, which
was developed to assist organizations in estimating the environmental
and economic benefits of "greening" their purchase, use, and disposal
of electronics. EPA posted these results on its FEC Web site.
[12] Executive Order 13514, "Federal Leadership in Environmental,
Energy, and Economic performance," Oct. 5, 2009, reiterates the
requirement that agencies purchase EPEAT-registered electronics.
[13] Two facility participants from two agencies received an FEC gold
award; 10 facility participants from five agencies received an FEC
silver award, and 18 facility participants from seven agencies received
an FEC bronze award.
[14] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-1044].
[15] EPA's environmental benefits calculator was developed to assist
organizations in estimating the environmental and economic benefits of
"greening" their purchase, use, and disposal of electronics.
[16] In addition, procurement using EPEAT criteria would lead to
substantial reductions in emissions to air and water, as well as to the
solid waste stream.
[End of section]
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