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

OUTCOMES REPORTEPEAT VERIFICATION ROUND IE-2018-04
1. Overview of Verification Round
Verification Round IE-2018-04 investigated randomly chosen criteria from IEEE 1680.2 and randomly
chosen products. Thirty-two (32) Level 1 investigations were completed for this Round. In Level 1
investigations, an Auditor assesses Conformance to a criterion by examining information submitted
by a Manufacturer. The Manufacturer is required to provide detailed and accurate information in a60-day period.
The products and criteria were selected as follows:• All products that were active in the Registry at the beginning of the Verification Round wereeligible for inclusion, and were chosen through a random selection process.
•All criteria were eligible for inclusion, and were chosen randomly for each selected product.

•All geographies and Manufacturers were eligible for inclusion.

• Exception is as follows: If a criterion was randomly selected for a product and that product had
been investigated against that criterion in the last six months, a new criterion was randomly
selected for the product.
•No Manufacturer was subject to more than 8 investigations during this Round.

2. Summary of Outcomes
32 Investigations completed
29 Decisions of Conformance
3 Decisions of Nonconformance

Outcomes Report
EPEAT Verification Round IE-2018-04

Page 1February 2019

Chart 1: Overall Conformance Status for IE2018-04 (as a percentage of total
investigations)9%91%

Conformance

Nonconformance

Chart 2: Reasons for Nonconformance
100%
90%
80%

1

Demonstrated
nonconformance

70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%

2

Insufficient
documentation todemonstrate
conformance
No documentation
provided

10%0%

3. Key Lessons
Criterion 4.3.2.3 Manual separation and marking of plastics
It is common for material codes to be incorrect due to the absence of brackets, and therefore
advisable for manufacturers to follow up with component suppliers to ensure these codes areprinted correctly.
Criterion 4.8.4.1 Provision of take-back service for packaging
This is multiple-part criterion; manufacturers should make sure they are addressing each component
when providing evidence.

Outcomes Report
EPEAT Verification Round IE-2018-04

Page 2February 2019

Criterion 4.9.3.2 Manufacturer recycles or reuses toner material collected through its cartridge andcontainer take-back programThis criterion asks for a specific breakdown of reported information. Manufacturers should ensure
their reporting aligns with the criterion’s reporting requirements.

4. General Message to Manufacturers
Understanding documentation requirements for Verification Rounds:
You can find more guidance and examples of conformance documents through your account on theEPEAT Registry.
Initial response to Auditors:
When contacted regarding participation in a Verification Round, Manufacturers should respond tothe Auditor as soon as possible to let them know they are communicating with the correct person or
to inform them of the correct contact. This also helps the Auditor know that the e-mail address isvalid.
Conformance of products that may share similar traits and/or supply chains:
If a Non-Conformance is found for a particular criterion and product, Manufacturers should be
prepared to determine if other products on the EPEAT Registry are similarly impacted due to use ofsimilar materials and/or supply chains, and develop corrective action plans to address the future
conformance of these other products.

5. Looking Forward
Plans for Future Verification Activities:
There are four Imaging Equipment verification rounds scheduled for 2019.
Conformity Sample Packets:
This and all future Verification Rounds have and will be conducted according to the guidance
provided in the Conformity Sample Packets available through the manufacturer’s account on theEPEAT Registry.

Outcomes Report
EPEAT Verification Round IE-2018-04

Page 3February 2019

6. Investigations Table

TABLE 1: Specific Non-Conformance Findings and Corrective Action Taken
ParticipatingManufacturerProductCountry

Product TypeCriterionRequired
or Optional

Criterion Description

NC Finding Description

Corrective Action Taken

HP Inc.

DesignJet T2530
PostScript
Multifunction Printer(L2Y26A)

UnitedStatesMultifunction
Device (MFD)

4.3.2.3

Required

Manual separation andmarking of plastics

Demonstrated nonconformance

If NC due todemonstrated
nonconformance,
manufacturer provided
evidence of changes
resulting in conformance

KonicaMinoltabizhub C3350

Australia

Multifunction
Device (MFD)

4.8.4.1

Optional

Provision of take-backservice for packaging

Insufficient
documentation to prove
conformance

Criterion undeclared bymanufacturer

KonicaMinolta

bizhub 4052

CanadaMultifunction
Device (MFD)

4.9.3.2

Optional

Manufacturer recycles orreuses toner material
collected through its
cartridge and container
take-back program

Insufficient
documentation to prove
conformance

Criterion undeclared bymanufacturer

Outcomes Report
EPEAT Verification Round IE-2018-04

Page 4February 2019

7. BackgroundTo assure the credibility of the EPEAT Registry, verification of the claims by Participating
Manufacturers are rigorous, independent and transparent. Verification is conducted according topolicies and procedures described in documents provided on www.epeat.net. Manufacturers aregiven no forewarning that their products will be verified, and verification is performed based on thedeclarations as they are in the Registry at the time the Verification Round begins.
Investigations are performed by expert technical contractors called Auditors working for a
Conformity Assurance Body approved by the Green Electronics Council (GEC). Auditors are free ofconflicts of interest, and their recommended decisions are reviewed and finalized by the Conformity
Assurance staff of GEC. Decisions of conformity are made blind to the identity of the products andcompanies they are judging, based only on evidence collected and analyzed by Auditors. A serious
consequence of receiving a Major Non-Conformance is that it is published publicly in an Outcomes
Report, for purchasers, competitors, and others to see.
•In a Level 0 investigation, an Auditor assesses Conformance to a criterion by examining publicly
available information only – no products are obtained for inspection or testing, and theManufacturer is not asked to submit documentation. If the publicly available information isinconclusive (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 proceed with aLevel 1 investigation.

•In a Level 1 investigation, an Auditor assess Conformance to a criterion by examining
information submitted by a Manufacturer. The Manufacturer is required to provide detailed andaccurate information in a timely manner.

•

In Level 2 investigations, the Conformity Assurance Body obtains a product without theManufacturer’s knowledge or involvement, and has the product disassembled and inspected toassess conformance with one or more criteria.

•In Level 3 investigations, the Conformity Assurance Body obtains a product without theManufacturer’s knowledge or involvement, and has the product analytically tested to assess
conformance with one or more criteria.

Manufacturers must correct Non-Conformances, either by bringing the product into Conformance,by un-declaring the criterion until Conformance is achieved, or by removing the product from theRegistry. The Green Electronics Council also requires that Manufacturers examine other registeredproducts to determine if their declarations should be corrected as well. If a Manufacturer corrects
the Non-Conformance by un-declaring the criterion and the criterion is an optional criterion, theylose that point, and possibly the product drops a tier. If it is a required criterion, they must archive
the product. If it is a required corporate criterion, they must archive all of their registered products.

Outcomes Report
EPEAT Verification Round IE-2018-04

Page 5February 2019