LG Electronics Applauds UL Environment and Green Electronics Council Collaboration to Add UL Mobile-Device Standard to EPEAT® Rating System

July 17, 2013 /3BL Media/ - LG Electronics USA today applauded UL Environment and the Green Electronics Council (GEC), on their groundbreaking collaboration to include mobile devices in the EPEAT^® registry of greener electronics for the first time. Together, the organizations will work with manufacturers, environmental groups, and purchasers to align the UL110 standard for mobile phones with GEC’s requirement for EPEAT. After approval, the updated standard is expected to debut in early 2014.

UL Environment, a business unit of Underwriters Laboratories, said the UL 110 standard will serve as the basis for a new mobile-device EPEAT category. This is the first time the Green Electronics Council has incorporated an environmental standard from an organization not involved in the EPEAT system’s 2006 launch

According to leading smartphone player LG Electronics, the EPEAT and UL 110 initiative demonstrates further progress towards a more sustainable marketplace.

“LG is proud of its long relationship with both EPEAT and UL. Working with UL Environment as an early adopter of the UL 110 standard reflects our commitment to sustainability as a core business principle across a wide range of product categories,” said John I. Taylor, Vice President, Public Affairs, LG Electronics USA. “Certifying LG smartphones to UL 110 further verifies LG’s efforts, and we embrace the emerging EPEAT registration for mobile phones as a way to help environmentally conscious customers identify mobile devices that best meet their needs.”

LG mobile phone customer Sprint agrees. “Our collaboration with UL Environment dating back to 2009 helped shape a third-party standard all carriers can now follow,” said Amy Hargroves, Director of Corporate Responsibility for Sprint. “At Sprint, we require all wireless phones to go through the UL 110 certification process, and this new partnership between UL Environment and EPEAT will further accelerate the adoption of the UL 110 standard throughout the wireless industry. We’re proud to say Sprint carries more UL 110-certified devices than any other carrier, which gives us a unique value proposition in the marketplace.”

MOBILE PHONE SUSTAINABILTY INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT

With an average lifespan of 18 months or less, users dispose of mobile phones at an ever-increasing rate.  According to a 2012 EPA report, approximately 152,000,000 mobile devices (including cellphones, smartphones and pagers) were disposed of in 2010.  Thus, sustainability and recyclability become more and more critical. It is estimated that in 2012, over 108.8 million smartphones were purchased in the U.S. alone.

“We are thrilled to be at the forefront of advancing health and sustainability as key priorities for manufacturers and purchasers of mobile phones,” said Sara Greenstein, President of UL Environment. “This marks the first time a non-IEEE standard has been considered for inclusion on the EPEAT registry. By leveraging the solid science behind the UL 110 sustainability standard, we look forward to providing government purchasers and corporations with improved access to mobile devices with reduced environmental impact.”

UL's ECOLOGO Certification to UL 110 (Sustainability for Mobile Phones) is based on the environmental and human health aspects of a mobile phone’s entire lifecycle. This way, manufacturers, retailers, and purchasers looking for environmentally-preferable mobile devices have an easy way to identify them. Inclusion of such a standard in EPEAT ensures that federal purchasers know which devices comply with federal purchasing requirements.

"The quick evolution and short lifecycle of mobile products presents us with a clear opportunity to reduce their environmental impact," said Robert Frisbee, Green Electronics Council CEO.  "Choosing to collaborate with UL Environment and use UL 110 as the basis for our EPEAT standard reflects our pursuit of the 'best of the best' standards for the EPEAT system.”

EPEAT REGISTRY ADDRESSES PRODUCT LIFECYCLE

In addition to registration in the EPEAT registry, mobile phones can also be fully certified to UL 110 by UL Environment and will then be listed in the Sustainable Product Database at ul.com/environment. Certified mobile phones can also carry UL Environment’s ECOLOGO Certification mark indicating they’ve achieved certification to the UL 110 standard, allowing consumers to easily find those phones at point of purchase. 

The EPEAT system evaluates products on a lifecycle basis, addressing their design for recycling, elimination of toxic substances, use of recycled and recyclable materials, product longevity, energy efficiency, corporate performance and packaging, among other attributes.  EPEAT is used as an environmental purchasing requirement by eight national governments, including the United States, as well as by educational and healthcare systems and multinational corporations.

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About UL Environment

UL Environment works to advance global sustainability, environmental health, and safety by supporting the growth and development of environmentally preferable products, services, and organizations. We help companies achieve their sustainability goals—and help purchasers, specifiers, retailers, governments, and consumers find products they can trust. UL Environment offers environmental claim validations, multi-attribute product certifications, environmental product declarations, indoor air quality certification, product emissions testing, organizational sustainability certification, and consulting. For more information, visit www.ul.com/environment, or connect with us via @ULEnvironment, http://www.linkedin.com/company/ul-environment, and www.facebook.com/ULEnvironment# .

About LG Electronics USA

LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $45 billion global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. LG Electronics, a proud 2013 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions in the United States, all under LG’s “Life's Good” marketing theme. www.lg.com.