Green Electronics Council
Registry Services Department

Verification Round Plan

P42Issue 1 Rev 2

Green Electronics Council
227 SW Pine Street, Suite 300 • Portland, OR 97204 • V: (503) 279-9382 • F: (503) 279-9381 • www.epeat.net

PLAN FOR VERIFICATION ROUND IE-2019-03
Imaging Equipment / IEEE 1680.2 and 1680.2(a)April 2019I.

PURPOSE AND CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT

This document outlines the plan for a Verification Round of Investigations to be performed inaccordance P15 Verification Procedure, this Verification Plan, and EPEAT scheme rules.

II.

SELECTION OF CRITERIA AND PRODUCTS FOR VERIFICATION

IE-2019-03 will include 54 Level 0 and 1 investigations on 16 criteria. The selected criteria are either
those that lend themselves well to Level 0 investigations or those for which demonstration ofconformance is difficult. All geographies and manufacturers with products active on the EPEAT Registry
are eligible for inclusion in this Round. Criteria which will be investigated during this Round include:
••
•
•••
••
••
••••
••

4.3.3.1 Required - Notification of identification of hazardous materials with special handlingneeds
4.3.4.1 Required - End of life characterization report
4.4.1.1 Required - Early failure process
4.4.2.1 Optional - Product upgradeability
4.5.1.1 Required - ENERGY STAR
4.5.2.2 Optional - LCA publically available
4.5.3.2 Optional - Auto standby capability
4.5.4.1 Optional - Default to auto duplex printing
4.7.2.1 Required - Public disclosure of key environmental aspects
4.7.2.2 Optional - Public disclosure of supply chain toxics
4.7.3.1 Optional - Product LCA assessment and public disclosure of analyses
4.8.4.1 Optional - Provision of take-back service for packaging
4.9.1.1 Required - Allow use of general office paper with renewable content, recycled content,
and that is chlorine free
4.9.2.1 Required - Documentation that product does not prevent the use of non-manufacturer
cartridges and non-manufacturer containers
4.9.3.1 Required - Provision of take-back and end-of-life management for cartridges andcontainers
4.9.4.1 Required - Documentation that the cartridges or container is not designed to prevent its
reuse and recycling

All criteria will be investigated via Level 0 investigation. In a Level 0 investigation, an Auditor assesses
Conformance to a criterion by examining publicly available information only – no products are obtained
Verification Round Plan IE-2019-03
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p. 1April 2019

for inspection or testing, and the Manufacturer is not asked to submit documentation. If the publicly
available information is inconclusive (i.e. was not available, could not be found from public sources, or
did not provide enough details to determine conformance), the Auditor may be instructed to proceedwith a Level 1 investigation.
Products will be selected via the following process:Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4III.

Selection Process:Notes:A snapshot will be taken of the EPEAT
registry by CA staff

Snapshot will include all active products
from all manufacturers andgeographies

Snapshot will be sorted to include only
criteria included in this round
Products and criteria will be randomly
chosen from this shortened list until all
investigations are assigned

No manufacturer will be subject tomore than 15 investigations during thisround.

A check will be performed on theassigned products to ensure that they
have not been investigated recently

A specific criterion on a specific productmay not be verified more than once
every six months.

VERIFICATION PROCESSSThe Verification Round will proceed in accordance with current procedures, as outlined below.
Level 0 Investigations:• GEC defines the start date of Verification Rounds using Level 0 Investigations, the length of theInvestigation Period and date when Investigation Reports must be submitted to GEC.
• Manufacturers are not informed they have been selected for Level 0 Investigations.
• The CAB Auditor conducts the Investigation by searching publicly available information andmakes a recommendation on conformity.
• If publicly available information does not demonstrate Conformance, the Auditor recommends
Inconclusive.
• The Auditor completes the relevant sections of the Investigation Report.
• Investigation Reports are submitted by the CAB to GEC before or on the date defined.
• The CAB removes any information that may identify the Manufacturer being investigated before
the Investigation Report is submitted to GEC.
• The Conformity Assurance staff member reviews the report.

Verification Round Plan IE-2019-03
Imaging Equipment

p. 2April 2019••For decisions of Conformance, the Conformity Assurance staff member amends theInvestigation Report to reflect the decision. The report is sent to the CAB, which is responsible
for sending it to the Manufacturer. The Investigation is complete.
For decisions of Inconclusive, the Conformity Assurance staff member amends the Investigation
Report, sends the report to the CAB and a Level 1 Investigation is launched.

Level 1 investigations:• GEC defines the start date of Verification Rounds using Level 1 Investigations. The Investigation
Period for Level 1 Investigations is 60 days, and CABs have 60 days from the start of the date ofRound to complete their Investigations. GEC defines the date that CABs must submit theirInvestigation Reports to GEC, typically two weeks after the end of the Investigation Period.
• Approximately 3-4 weeks prior to the start date of the Verification Round, the Conformity
Assurance staff informs CABs of the products that have been selected, the official start date ofthe Round and the end date of the Investigation Period.
• On the start date of the round, CABs contact their client Manufactures to inform them they havebeen selected for Verification. CABs do not inform their client Manufacturers they are being
targeted for an Investigation prior to the start date of the Round.
• In instances where the CAB’s client Manufacturer is unresponsive to the CAB’s requests forinformation, the CAB may request that GEC intervene with their client Manufacturer directly.
• The CAB Auditor conducts the Investigation and completes the relevant sections of theInvestigation Report.
• At the end of the Investigation Period the CAB must also provide a copy of the reviewed IR totheir client Manufacturer, as a draft, so that the Manufacturer is informed of the CAB’s
recommendation on conformity.
• Investigation Reports are submitted to GEC before or on the date defined.
• A Conformity Assurance staff member will review the report. If the report clearly supports theCAB recommendation of conformance the Conformity Assurance staff may accept the CAB
recommendation. In any instances where the report does not clearly support the CAB
recommendation of conformance, the CA staff may send the report back to the CAB or overturnthe CAB’s recommendation.
• Conformity Assurance staff amends the Investigation Report to reflect the final decision and anycomments. The report is sent to the CAB, which is responsible for sending it to theirManufacturer.
• For decisions of Conformance, the report is considered final and the Investigation is complete.
• For decisions of Non-Conformance, the corrective action phase is launched.

IV.

CONFORMITY ASSURANCE BODIES AND AUDITORSAll investigations will be conducted through Conformity Assurance Bodies approved by the Green
Electronics Council. The following Conformity Assurance Bodies may be involved in Investigations forthis Verification Round:• DEKRA• Green Electronics Council CAB• Intertek• UL EnvironmentV.

SUMMARY OF IE-2019-03 PLANNED INVESTIGATIONSVerification Round Plan IE-2019-03
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p. 3April 2019

Criterion

Verification Selection and Process

4.3.3.1•

4.3.4.1
4.4.1.1
4.4.2.1
4.5.1.1
4.5.2.2
4.5.3.2
4.5.4.1
4.7.2.1
4.7.2.2
4.7.3.1

••
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

4.8.4.1
4.9.1.1••

4.9.2.1•

4.9.3.1•

4.9.4.1•

Required - Notification of identification of hazardous materials
with special handling needsRequired - End of life characterization report
Required - Early failure process
Optional - Product upgradeability
Required - ENERGY STAR
Optional - LCA publically available
Optional - Auto standby capability
Optional - Default to auto duplex printing
Required - Public disclosure of key environmental aspects
Optional - Public disclosure of supply chain toxics
Optional - Product LCA assessment and public disclosure ofanalyses
Optional - Provision of take-back service for packaging
Required - Allow use of general office paper with renewable
content, recycled content, and that is chlorine free
Required - Documentation that product does not prevent the useof non-manufacturer cartridges and non-manufacturer containers
Required - Provision of take-back and end-of-life management for
cartridges and containers
Required - Documentation that the cartridges or container is notdesigned to prevent its reuse and recycle
Total

Verification Round Plan IE-2019-03
Imaging Equipment

p. 4# Planned
Investigations
52343442
43313652
Up to 54 investigations

April 2019