TCO Certified, generation 8 is here — this is how you apply for certification

TCO Certified, generation 8 is now launched, meaning that IT brands and manufacturers can apply for product certification and purchasing organizations can include generation 8 in procurement. TCO Certified, generation 8 takes a major step toward a more sustainable life cycle for IT products. Now is your opportunity to see if your products are ready.

TCO Certified, generation 8 includes a wide range of updated and new criteria, designed to promote a circular approach to IT products along with transparency and responsibility in the supply chain. The criteria also support progress toward the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

All product categories will be generation 8

In TCO Certified, generation 8, the majority of criteria are the same for all product categories. The criteria documents for all product categories therefore have the same generation number: 8.

What’s in generation 8?

A circular approach to
IT products

Supporting greater product circularity extended product lifetime and re-use. Criteria for battery life, product durability and material recovery.

Supply chain responsibility and transparency

Focus on closing non-conformities and verifying supply chain improvements. New criteria for responsible minerals, anti-corruption and process chemicals.

Supporting UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Helping you meet your commitment to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, including responsible production and consumption.

Apply for TCO Certified, generation 8

TCO Certified, generation 8 was launched on December 4, 2018. From this date, applications for previous generations of TCO Certified will not be accepted. Existing certificates will remain valid for their regular term: two years from the date of issue, with the option to extend for one year at a time until Dec 4, 2020.

To apply for certification of your products, follow our step-by-step guide for brands. Applications and supporting documents are uploaded to TCO Certified Portal. Once submitted, you will be able to track the progress in this online tool.

Find a complete listing of all products that are currently certified at our Product Finder. Products may no longer be promoted as certified according to TCO Certified once the certificate expires or the generation of criteria is discontinued.

To see what’s new in TCO Certified, generation 8 and the updates compared with the current generation, refer to overview – new and updated criteria and technical comparison with the current generation.

We have opened up a new way to apply, through TCO Certified Portal through which the applicant can upload the application documents directly. However we will also continue to accept applications by email.

For pricing, please refer to our price list.

In order to drive faster sustainability progress in priority areas, we launch a new generation of TCO Certified every three years.

Overview – new and updated criteria

CRITERIA AREA CRITERION DESCRIPTION WHY? NEW/UPDATED PRODUCT CATEGORIES
Product and sustainability information Sustainability perfornance Product information on:1. Product weight, 2. Energy consumption, 3. Percentage of recycled plastic content. 4. battery longevity (number of battery cycles) 5. Production/sales volumes as well as performance beyond TCO Certified To collect information to measure sustainability benefits. New All
Product and sustainability information Information to end users TCO Certfied logo placement partially harmonized with ENERGY STAR® guidelines Clearer rules for placement of TCO Certified logo Updated All
Product and sustainability information Product specification Technical details about the product Independent identification of the certified product. Updated All
Socially responsible manufacturing Anti-corruption management system Brand owner has management system in place for preventing and responding to corruption. In accordance with ICC. Minimize risk for corruption within company and supply chain. New All
Socially responsible manufacturing Process chemicals Greater transparency on what’s being used and how to move toward safer substitutions. Company must have 1. Health and safety management system, 2. Completed chemical management template for cleaners and solvents, 3. Exposure controls – PPE. Health risks associated with worker exposure to chemicals used in manfacturing processes. New All
Socially responsible manufacturing Supply chain responsibility Factory audit frequency based on risk-assessment model. Progress made in socially responsible manufacturing varies among factories. Risk-based model incentivizes closure of non-conformities. Updated All
Socially responsible manufacturing Supply chain transparency Dialog with senior management representative from brand owner. Transparency with TCO Development on supply chain sustainability progress. Industry transparency is important for measuring progress against short and longer term goals for supply chain responsibility. Updated All
Socially responsible manufacturing Responsibly sourced minerals Brand owner must prove the following in place pertaining to at least 3TG and cobalt: 1. Supply Chain policy for responsible sourcing, 2. Process to identify smelters and refineries and 3. Participation in multi-stakeholder program supporting responsible mineral sourcing. 3TG, Cobalt and other minerals are sourced from high-risk and confict-affected areas. Need for a broader, global approach. Updated All
Environmentally responsible manufacturing Energy efficiency indicators Information on energy efficiency indicators / management system used in final assembly factories. High percentage of energy consumption connected to IT products is in the manufacturing phase. New All
Product performance Display resolution New simplified way of measuring display resolution. Enhanced criteria. Good display resolution is essential for most applications today. New Displays, notebooks, tablets, all-in-one-pcs, projectors
Product performance Luminance contrast – characters New test method, harmonizing with IDMS Harmonizing with existing standard. Updated Displays, notebooks, tablets, all-in-one-pcs
Product performance Color grayscale linearity Enhanced criteria In line with new measurement methods Updated Displays, all-in-one-pcs
Product performance Correlated color temperature New target cct coordinates are in line with other standards like sRGB,ITU rec 709 and more It is important that the display has a color profile that is simliar to the ambient light so the user perceives colors accurately Updated Displays, notebooks, tablets, all-in-one-pcs
Product lifetime extension Standardized connectors USB Type-C Support use of existing cables, peripherals to minimize the amount of e-waste New Notebooks, tablets, smartphones, desktops, all-in-one-pcs
Product lifetime extension Product durability For mobile products. Products must pass high-low temperature and drop testing based on test methods found in MIL-STD-810G w/CHANGE 1 or IEC 60068-2 Support extended product life and re-use New Notebooks, tablets, smartphones
Product lifetime extension Battery longevity For mobile products. Main battery must deliver a minimum of 300 charging cycles at a minimum of 60% initial capacity. The number of cycles will be stated on the certificate. Support extended product life and re-use New Notebooks, tablets, smartphones, headsets
Product lifetime extension Battery replaceability For mobile products. Main battery is replaceable. Minimum 1 year battery warranty Support extended product life and re-use. New Notebooks, tablets, smartphones, headsets
Product lifetime extension Secure data removal from products Company provides media-sanitization software, free of charge to end-user. Support product sharing / re-use. New Notebooks, tablets, smartphones, desktops, all-in-one-pcs
Product lifetime extension Replaceable components 1. Availability of replaceable critical components, 2. list of available replaceable components 3. Manuals showing how to replace critical components. Support extended product life and re-use New All
Reduction of hazardous substances Plasticizers 1. Plasticizers used in plastic parts benchmark 2,3 or 4 in accordance with Green Screen and included on TCO Development Accepted Substances List. . 2. Products must not contain DEHP, BBP, DBP or DIBP Greater transparency on chemicals used and a move toward safer substitution New All

Technical comparison with the past generation

A cross-reference guide between past criteria and TCO Certified, generation 8

DOWNLOAD COMPARISON