OGS Wins Fourth National Green Award for Sustainable Electronics Procurement

RoAnn M. Destito, Commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services (OGS), today announced that OGS has received a 2020 Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) award for excellence in sustainable electronics procurement by the Green Electronics Council. The winners were recently announced at a virtual event. 

EPEAT is a free and trusted source of environmental product rating system that makes it easier for buyers to select high-performance electronics that support their organization’s information technology (IT) and sustainability goals. Purchasing EPEAT-rated equipment helps reduce hazardous and solid waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

“Governor Cuomo has made green and sustainable initiatives a priority for state agencies, and we at OGS are pleased that for the fourth year in a row the Green Electronics Council is recognizing our efforts to encourage the purchase of EPEAT-registered IT products,” Commissioner Destito said. “The purchase of these IT products on state contract in 2019 will help avoid the disposal of 948 metric tons of solid waste and will also result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the removal of 8,550 passenger cars from the road each year.”

Since 2008, OGS has included a requirement in its aggregate computer buy that all desktops, notebooks, and tablets meet EPEAT requirements. In 2019, more than 61,500 computers and displays were purchased through the OGS computer aggregate buy.

An aggregate buy is how New York State uses its buying power to get the best final pricing for items sold on state contracts and purchased in bulk by state agencies, local governments, schools, and nonprofits. Purchasers received a 50.3 percent discount off state contract prices on average, which saved them approximately $15.2 million in 2019.

The EPEAT rating system began in 2003 with a stakeholder process convened by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and has grown to become the definitive global environmental rating system for electronics. Managed by the Green Electronics Council, EPEAT has tracked more than 16,000 products from more than 60 manufacturers across 43 countries.