Implementing electronics stewardship: A U.S. Federal agency´s perspective (May 2009)

This paper addresses the efforts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement electronics stewardship (ES) objectives that deal with all three lifecycle phases: acquisition, operation, and end-of-life. A program analyst assessed USDA compliance with Federal ES requirements in 2007 and found that it was compliant in some respects and needing additional effort to comply in other areas. The requirements are to buy Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) products, enable Energy Star settings, extend the life of electronics, and use environmentally sound end-of-life practices. The analyst drafted an Electronics Stewardship Plan (ESP), which senior officials approved in July 2007. The ESP documented his analysis and formulated a path toward full compliance with electronics stewardship objectives. The ESP focused on the procurement and operation lifecycle phases, since USDA was already largely compliant with computer lifespan and end-of-life requirements. This paper discusses the roles of key officials in ES implementation, supplemental policy for agency-wide guidance, milestones for achieving objectives, and contractual tools for achieving and maintaining compliance with ES requirements.