Green Tech Buys: Companies Leading the Way in Sustainable Electronics

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Sustainability remains a top-of-mind issue for organizations that continue to work toward their individual carbon footprint reduction goals. Every year, the Global Electronics Council (GEC) shines a spotlight on a group of companies that exemplify this effort, awarding them with a coveted EPEAT® Purchaser Award. 

Focused on procurement, the award celebrates “institutions that prioritize the purchase of EPEAT-registered products, reinforcing market demand for responsible electronics supply chains and showcasing the power of procurement to advance organizational sustainability goals,” according to GEC. 

This year’s EPEAT award winners removed a collective 1.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the environment. “This equates to taking about 250,000 passenger cars off the road for a year,” GEC says in a press release announcing the winners, “alongside significant reductions in energy use, hazardous waste, water consumption, and more.” 

What is EPEAT?

EPEAT is an ecolabel for electronics, with a focus on a free online registry that identifies products made by a group of global manufacturers. Owned and operated by the GEC, EPEAT works on the mission to “create a world with only sustainable electronics,” the organization says. 

In order to participate in EPEAT, manufacturers have to engage with a Conformity Assurance Body (CAB) and prove conformance with EPEAT criteria. EPEAT Gold identifies that products meet the most demanding set of criteria for sustainability leadership in electronics. EPEAT Silver and Bronze tiers indicate that products meet a broad set of criteria, also making them a more sustainable purchasing option.

By procuring EPEA-registered electronics, companies can reduce their negative environmental and social impacts while setting a standard for other leading institutions to follow. “GEC encourages all institutions to join the movement towards a more sustainable future by integrating EPEAT-registered products into their procurement practices,” the organization says.

Measuring the Eco-Impact

Along with the GHG emissions reduction, the 2025 EPEAT Purchaser Award winners collectively reduced:

• 1,300 gigawatt-hours of energy, comparable to the annual electricity consumption of 107,000 average U.S. households.
• 24,400 metric tons of solid waste, the equivalent to the waste generated by 13,100 U.S. households
• 2.45 billion liters of water consumption, saving enough to fill 983 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“These results show what’s possible when organizations embed responsible procurement practices into their operations” said GEC CEO Bob Mitchell, in the press release. “With third-party verification, impact measurement tools, and a trusted product registry, EPEAT empowers purchasers to confidently drive meaningful progress toward their sustainability goals.” 

Cutting Carbon

One of this year’s awardees, Kaiser Permanente, emphasizes the vital connections of social and environmental responsibility to public health. “At Kaiser Permanente, we know that climate health has a direct impact on human health,” said Elizabeth Eldridge, director of sustainability. “To minimize our environmental impact and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve, we are proud to make sustainable procurement choices, including EPEAT-registered IT product purchases.” 

Geotab, Inc., a maker of connected vehicle solutions, also received a 2025 EPEAT Purchaser Award. Through EPEAT purchases last year, the company saved 49,000 kilograms of CO2 equivalents (kgCO2e) in GHG emissions. It says this equates to taking 11 cars off the road for a year, and achieved energy savings of 200,000 kWh, equal to the average electricity consumption of 18 average U.S. households.

With electronic waste becoming one of the fastest growing sources of waste globally—over 60 million tons produced annually, with less than a quarter collected and recycled—Geotab says responsible procurement is “more critical than ever,” right now. 

“Sustainable procurement is a cornerstone of our commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility,” said Jordan De Jong, VP of operations, in a press release. “Beyond managing risk and increasing efficiency, it allows us to actively reduce our environmental footprint, drive positive social impact throughout our supply chain, and accelerate our journey towards a more sustainable, safe, and net-zero carbon future.”