How Does Toshiba EPEAT Provide Greater Sustainability for Your Office?

Office managers and executives often struggle to find excellent office equipment that meets specific sustainability guidelines. However, EPEAT from Toshiba provides a practical and effective office sustainability solution.

Every organization valuing the environment must implement company-wide office sustainability standards. Without a streamlined registry for green electronics, finding appropriate devices and integrating them into an efficient network is challenging.

Fortunately, this streamlined registry exists. Many organizations use EPEAT as their primary tool for sustainable office equipment procurement. With over a thousand entries, including brands like HP, Xerox, and Toshiba, EPEAT is a powerful ally for any environmentally-conscious company.

EPEAT not only offers a single database for environmental decision-making but also verifies manufacturer claims. The Green Electronics Council manages Conformity Assurance Bodies that test devices and help manufacturers integrate into the EPEAT system. This ensures that all listed products meet strict environmental criteria, making it easier for businesses to make responsible choices.

What Does EPEAT Stand For?

EPEAT stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool. It consists of a well-organized database covering specific environmental criteria for a broad range of electronics and other office products.

These criteria include design, energy use, production, consumption, and recycling. EPEAT standards make it easy for organizations to meet or exceed specific sustainability goals easily.

The Green Electronics Council manages the EPEAT Online Registry and constantly works to ensure the integrity of the system. It supports institutional buyers from organizations around the world and establishes a market for sustainable office electronics.

How Does EPEAT Work?

Anyone can use EPEAT to search for office equipment. The online portal features numerous attributes for users to filter through the many different brands represented. Specific attributes include lack of toxic materials, use of recycled plastics, and overall environmental impact.

EPEAT provides offices with a single database for environmental decision-making and verifies manufacturer claims. The Green Electronics Council manages Conformity Assurance Bodies, who test devices and assist manufacturers in integrating into the EPEAT system.

There are six Conformity Assurance Bodies in the EPEAT network, including EPEAT itself. These bodies perform tests and consult with manufacturers in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

To simplify EPEAT for users, the Green Electronics Council awards one of three ratings to the highest-performing products. This clear system helps users quickly identify the most environmentally-friendly options. These ratings showcase individual product lines that best adhere to EPEAT guidelines, which are separated into required criteria and valuable optional criteria:

• Bronze Rating: Products meet the required criteria for their category but not the majority of optional criteria.
• Silver Rating: Products meet all required criteria and at least 50% of optional criteria for their category.
• Gold Rating: The best products meet all required criteria and more than 75% of optional criteria for their category.

Examples of optional criteria for the multifunction printer category include the elimination of environmentally sensitive materials, end-of-life management, selection of materials, and energy conservation. Each device earns a unique score based on independent testing performed by Conformity Assurance Bodies.

Toshiba EPEAT-Certified Devices

Toshiba is one of the best-represented brands in the EPEAT system. The manufacturer counts 27 gold entries and a single silver entry among its eStudio series multifunction devices. That means that users can expect best-in-class performance in 10 critical categories:

• End-of-life design and management
• Materials selection
• Energy conservation
• Reduction of environmentally sensitive materials
• Product longevity
• Corporate performance
• Packaging
• Consumables
• Indoor air quality

When it comes to multifunction devices, Toshiba’s EPEAT scores make it a top choice in the database. All eStudio printers are listed in the EPEAT system, making them some of the industry’s most environmentally sustainable options.

Toshiba and EPEAT Experts

Toshiba’s eStudio line of printers covers a wide set of corporate imaging needs. From small, home-based offices to large enterprise departments, there are very few situations where a Toshiba eStudio multifunction printer won’t do the job with efficiency and excellence.

Toshiba’s higher-volume eStudio printers all feature support for PostScript 3 automation and customization. Personalized workflows give office managers the ability to develop and enforce strict print policies that keep paper and laser toner cartridge use to a minimum.

As network-enabled multifunction devices, these printers make it easy for employees to digitize incoming paper documents and capture all of their data with a simple scan. This makes the eStudio series an important part of any digital transformation strategy, and a key element of any office sustainability initiative.

With Toshiba EPEAT scores showing excellence in every category, it’s clear that organizations looking for high quality equipment that meets EPEAT standards have much to gain from Toshiba technology. Find out which eStudio multifunction printer is the right one for your organization.

Is your office equipment EPEAT certified? Find out the answer and learn about ways you can improve sustainability by talking to one of our sustainability experts today.