UL Environment has released new sets of sustainability requirements for tablets and wireless hot spots.
Both sets of requirements are based on its UL 110 standard, which was UL’s first collaborative effort to develop a sustainability standard for mobile phones. Now, UL 2841 for Slate Style Tablets and UL 2853 for Mobile Hotspots ensure that these additional mobile devices are evaluated for environmental impacts in the same way that UL 110 has effectively measured sustainability criteria in mobile phones, the consulting and certification company says.
UL Environment says it’s working closely with a number of manufacturers to complete certification to UL 2841. Novatel Wireless is the first manufacturer to achieve Ecologo Platinum Certification to UL 2853 for its Mifi 5580. Once a mobile device has achieved Ecologo Certification it is listed in UL’s Sustainable Product Guide.
Certified mobile devices can also carry the Ecologo Certification mark, indicating they’ve successfully completed the certification process.
Sprint was one of the key stakeholders involved in the development of UL 110 and has played a critical role in the adoption of these criteria for mobile phones by requiring that all of its postpaid and prepaid handsets go through the UL Environment certification process. Similarly, Sprint has encouraged certification to UL 2841 and UL 2853.
UL Environment intends to present these certification requirements for consideration to a UL Standards Technical Panel for consideration as an ANSI standard. Standards Technical Panels are comprised of stakeholders such as manufacturers, government entities, non-governmental organizations and consumer interest groups.
UL 110 will serve as the basis for a new mobile-device Electronic Product Environmental Tool (EPEAT) category, the organizations announced earlier this year.
