DOE is committed to responsible lifecycle stewardship of its electronics, including computers, displays, printers, servers and cell phones. DOE is also committed to the energy efficient management and optimization of all of its data centers. DOE policy and actions support the following principles of electronic stewardship:
- Procuring energy efficient and sustainable electronics, including EPEAT-registered, ENERGY STAR certified, and low standby power products
- Enabling electronics power management and automatic duplexing capabilities
- Establishing and implementing policies to extend the useful life of electronics
- Reusing and responsibly recycling excess and surplus (end-of-life) electronics through third-party certified electronics recyclers and re-furbishers
- Consolidating and closing unneeded data centers
- Installing automated energy metering and data center infrastructure management tools
- Improving and maintaining energy efficient operations in new and existing data centers
- Utilizing shared and cloud services, where appropriate
DOE and its facilities have been recognized for exemplary electronics stewardship activities over the years, including:
- EPEAT Purchaser Awards for multiple sites, every year of the program since 2015
- 2015 Green Electronics Council Champion Award
- 2007 White House Closing the Circle Award for Electronics Stewardship
- Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) Awards for multiple sites, every year of the program, from 2005 through 2013
- Electronics Reuse and Recycling Campaign (ERRC) Awards every year of the program, from 2006 through 2009