Is Going Green Good for Business? Ingram Micro Thinks So
There’s no question that the movement to play nice with the environment is gaining steam – but, I suppose, only if steam is not harmful to the earth’s ozone layer.
A major white paper I crafted recently for a technology vendor discussed its efforts to quantify the carbon footprint of its products, all the way from mining ore for raw materials, through design and manufacturing, to distribution, long-term customer use, and finally, disposal and recycling. The company noted that requests for proposals it now receives from potential customers almost always contain a section asking about the company’s “green” efforts and numbers regarding sustainability.
It’s certainly harder for individual integrators or resellers to live green and be green in all things business-related, but one distributor, Ingram Micro, is stepping up to the plate to make it a little easier.
The company this week launched a service to help resellers easily identify "green" electronic products. EPEAT, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, which is managed by the nonprofit Green Electronics Council, is an environmental rating system that evaluates desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on 51 environmental performance criteria. As of Aug. 5, Ingram Micro North America’s product database includes EPEAT ratings information – rankings of Bronze, Silver or Gold – along with other product data to enable resellers to easily identify environmentally preferable computer products.
According to Ingram Micro, Federal government agencies are requiring EPEAT registered products to ensure their electronics purchases are compliant. By having these designations in its product database, Ingram Micro is providing the green information that resellers need when assembling bids for government contracts. It also assists others in identifying environmentally friendly products for end users.
This seems like a very good idea to me. In my garage, I have recycling bins for newspapers and magazines, white office paper, cans, plastics, glass, and cardboard. Sure, it’s a hassle, especially after the extended family has been camping out for an extended period around Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it helps make me a better citizen and saves my town money since less trash means less town funds spent. I can’t imagine that this will be a burden to resellers.
EPEAT registered computers and monitors must meet 23 required environmental performance criteria, and are ranked as Bronze, Silver or Gold according to the percentage of 28 optional criteria they meet. Required criteria include Energy Star’s energy efficiency specifications to consume less energy, and a system for recycling at end of life.
Kudos to Ingram Micro for doing this. The next step is up to you.
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