The EPEAT requirements are designed to be used as a comprehensive whole.  The Development Team strongly recommends that users of the EPEAT tool do not selectively pick and choose among the criteria or amend or modify their potential product scope or application.  Doing so would weaken the impact and results of the overall EPEAT process.  Taken as a whole, the EPEAT system – the criteria, data and documentation requirements, manufacturer agreements, processes for after-market verification, and commitments to future updates and extensions – will provide purchasers with a simple and verifiable program for the selection of environmentally sustainable products.  In addition, the criteria will provide a single, practical system for manufacturers to demonstrate the environmental performance of their products.  The overall EPEAT result carefully balances stakeholder concerns and promotes overall environmental improvement.  The EPEAT stakeholders request the EPEAT package be followed in its entirety.

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However, some purchasers may need to make purchasing decisions before the completed implementation phase. Hence, they may desire to use the performance requirements in bid specs, market surveys and similar documents during the interim period. It is extremely important to note that an agency using the criteria before the formal release of the complete EPEAT tool will be solely and completely responsible for verifying compliance to the criteria.

Below is some guidance from the EPEAT Implementation Team to help ensure the criteria are used appropriately during the interim period.

• DO only apply the criteria to electronics products (monitors, desktops & notebooks) that are included the original EPEAT scope.
• DO only use the required criteria (bronze level) and not criteria from the advanced tiers (gold or platinum).
• DO understand that manufacturers may be making product and process changes to meet the performance criteria and that not all criteria can be met today, e.g., some of the RoHS criteria. This may result in a smaller available product pool from which to select.
• DO refer to the criteria as FINAL DRAFT CRITERIA and include the date and revision of criteria used.
• DO include in your bid specs an option for requiring the use of the EPEAT tool, process and performance criteria when such products are available -- as per the following, example language.

  "During the term of the contract, [Agency/Department] reserves the right to purchase exclusively or otherwise provide preference for specific models of desktop computers, notebooks and monitors qualified through the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) or its successor.”

• Purchasers are advised not to augment the attributes or required criteria by adding other environmental requirements or adjusting their values. The EPEAT Development Team reviewed many options and through a lengthy and detailed stakeholder review have identified what we feel are key environmental attributes. It is not the intent of the Development Team to limit the application of non-environmental criteria, e.g. social justice guidelines.
• DO NOT refer to the product purchased during the interim period as in conformance with EPEAT or in conformance with EPEAT requirements. Also, do not refer to the purchased product as EPEAT certified, EPEAT approved, or EPEAT compliant during this time.

The Implementation Team believes following this guidance strikes an appropriate balance between making better purchasing decisions and not negatively affecting the implementation of the EPEAT system or weakening its eventual impact.