Corporate social responsibility: personal, tablet and other computers

Computers

The new global product group for “personal, notebook and tablet computers (code 050)” shall comprise desktop computers, integrated desktop computers, portable all-in-one computers, notebook computers, two-in-one notebook computers, tablet computers, thin clients, workstations and small-scale servers.

Gaming consoles and digital picture frames are not included in this product group.

For reference, here is the official text published by the European Commission.

Stricter criteria

The new environmental criteria mainly apply to hazardous substances, reuse and disassembly as well as labour conditions. They are divided into six themes:

• energy consumption, such as the restriction of screen consumption;
• hazardous substances and mixtures in the product, sub-assemblies and component parts;
• lifetime extension (notably durability testing, device upgradability and reparability);
• design, material selection and end-of-life product management (for example, a product for disassembly and recycling);
• corporate social responsibility (this criterion is dual; on the one hand, it concerns the use of “conflict-free” minerals, and, on the other hand, compliance with labour law and human rights during manufacturing); and
• user information.

If it opts for an ecolabel with text box, the manufacturer or distributor must use three of the following slogans on its label:

• high energy efficiency;
• restriction of hazardous substances;
• product designed to be easy to repair, upgrade and recycle;
• audited factory working conditions;
• if applicable: product designed to have a longer lifetime;
• if applicable: contains … % post-consumer recycled plastic.

Three years

Although, in recent months, the Union has set certain environmental criteria for a six-year period, this is not the case regarding computers. These criteria shall remain valid for three years.

The new ecological criteria are applicable from the date of adoption of the decision of the Commission. Thus, applications for the ecolabel based on the new criteria for personal, notebook and tablet computers can be submitted from 10 August 2016, but a two-month period is provided for during which applications can still be based on the old criteria. All products with an ecolabel which do not meet the new criteria will lose the right to display this label “twelve months from the date of adoption of this decision”, i.e. from 10 August 2017.