Launch of new TCO Certified – more sustainable IT products available

The new and updated criteria drive responsibility and transparency in the supply chain. With a circular approach, the certification makes more sustainable IT products available on the market. Criteria focus on extending the lifespan of IT products and help purchasing organizations contribute to national and global sustainability goals.

“It is our largest step yet toward a circular and sustainable life cycle for IT products. Supporting progress toward the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, TCO Certified, generation 8 helps brands and buyers contribute to a more sustainable future”, says Sören Enholm, CEO of TCO Development, the organization behind TCO Certified.

Circularity means moving away from the linear take, make, dispose model, to one where the products are used longer, and can be re-used or re-manufactured before they are recycled. Keeping materials in high value use for as long as possible also means lowering reliance on virgin materials and reducing toxic waste.

In TCO Certified, generation 8, circular solutions are enabled through the brand new area of product lifetime extension. New criteria focusing on product durability, repairability and upgradeability are additions to existing criteria on material recovery and recycling.

Criteria also aim to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous substances in IT products, covering heavy metals, halogens, non-halogenated flame retardants and plasticizers. Workers in factories must wear protective equipment and be educated on the risks when using hazardous process chemicals.

“By including the latest generation of TCO Certified in procurement you get access to comprehensive life cycle criteria and independent verification of compliance. In the near future, we expect many more products to be certified according to TCO Certified, generation 8”, Sören Enholm concludes.