How green is your laptop? Eco-electronics registry now global

On Monday, the Green Electronics Council announced that the highly acclaimed EPEAT rating system would be covering computer equipment sold around the world, as reported by CNET. That's a big expansion and an impressive step forward. An EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) rating is mandated as part of RFPs by U.S. government agencies already.

This condition effectively forces electronics manufacturers to provide an eco-rating on their products sold in the U.S. Now consumers around the world will be able to better judge the environmental friendliness and impact of their technology gear as the EPEAT ratings are broken down country by country to match products sold under slightly different names or with slightly different configurations around the globe. That's a great leap forward for the industry and a big help to consumers who want to better understand what sort of toxins they might be bringing into their homes and offices with electronics purchases.