Beginning September 4, brands are able to apply for product certification in accordance with TCO Certified, generation 8. Get a first look at how this generation addresses issues such as circularity, supply chain transparency and responsibility.
The criteria for TCO Certified, generation 8 are finalized and published. By applying now, brands can be among the first to get their products certified to the new generation.
On Tuesday, May 9 the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council presented TCO Development with an Outstanding Case Study Award. The case study outlined achievements in improved social responsibility in the IT manufacturing supply chain where certified products are made, making it easier for IT purchasers to make more sustainable choices.
IT brand HP has joined Dell and Lenovo in achieving the TCO Certified sustainability certification for a range of notebook computers.
As part of the new generation TCO Certified, brands declare the energy consumption, recycled plastic content and weight of all certified product models
The next generation of TCO Certified only accepts non-halogenated flame retardants that have been reviewed by GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals.
It's a positive development to see initiatives on the market that aim to make the IT industry more sustainable. The product certification TCO Certified and the manufacturer Fairphone both offer the possibility of choosing smartphones that take social and environmental aspects into consideration. However, the report that compares Fairphone side-by-side to TCO Certified Smartphones is somewhat misleading.
One of the major changes proposed in the new generation TCO Certified is a fresh approach to reducing hazardous substance content in computers, displays and other electronic devices. Moving away from focusing on banned substances alone, the draft proposes the addition of an Accepted Substances List, specifying substances that have been evaluated and declared as safer alternatives.
Chemsec, The International Chemical Secretariat, has withdrawn from the EU-Commission working group charged with updating the banned substances list in RoHS. It’s unfortunate that the working group has lost Chemsec as a member, as they have been instrumental in presenting concrete solutions to phasing out well-known hazardous substances contained in electronic
More buyers of smartphones and tablets should make sure they’re asking the major device brands for devices that are sustainably sustainably designed and made. Niclas Rydell of sustainability certification organization TCO Development believes this buyer influence is critical is turning the tide of mounting environmental and social challenges associated with our increased use of mobile computing products.