How to extend the lifetime of ICT: examples and case studies from the EU GPP criteria

Public procurers in the EU can apply procurement criteria to elicit tenders and select products from the manufacturers and suppliers of products with reduced environmental impacts. The European Green Public Procurement Criteria (EU GPP), published as Staff Working Documents of the European Commission, and periodically updated at product group level, represent an important reference for the selection and application of voluntary green criteria throughout Europe. Recently, the revision process of the EU GPP Criteria for Computers and Monitors has focused attention on criteria that can be used to extend the lifetime of these devices, when considered as a key strategy to reduce their environmental impacts. This paper describes criteria that may be applicable to the selection of ICT devices and services that are characterised by: • a more reliable design, including resistance to damage and wear, • repair and upgrade features (e.g. key components are easy to be replaced), • long term support (warranty and service agreement, availability of spare parts, software updates and information) • sufficient adaptability to future conditions of use (e.g. standardised components and ports, upgradable components) • reusablility at the end of the first useful life (e.g. software to ensure a secure data deletion) • reused second hand devices that have been fully checked, serviced and upgraded. This paper describes the EU GPP criteria based on these strategies, which are associated to the setting of criteria based on these strategies in Green Public Procurement. Case studies and lessons learnt from public procurers in different EU Member States are also described.