Electronics and IT products are largely manufactured under tough working conditions in price-pressed supply chains. These pressurized conditions have led to excessive overtime, unsafe working environments and other negative outcomes for workers. As some brands show progress toward more responsible practices, it is vital that organizations buying IT products use tools such as the new EU Public Purchasing Directive to continue the drive toward more sustainable manufacturing of electronics.
Several IT brands have begun showing an increased commitment to social and environmental responsibility. A new report from TCO Development shows that 17 brands have increased their efforts in implementing codes of conduct and corrective actions by working with the structured platform of TCO Certified, directed by sustainability organization TCO Development.
Niclas Rydell of TCO Development comments: "Since introducing social responsibility criteria in the TCO Certified program, we're seeing evidence of a more open dialog between brands and suppliers as well as more brand awareness of what's happening in the supply chain."
By prioritizing socially responsible manufacturing when selecting IT products, buyers can directly influence brands toward continued improvements. The new EU Public Purchasing Directive pushes buyers to include social and environmental factors when buying IT equipment, and to make use of certifications to verify product compliance with those demands. "The challenge for buyers is how to know whether the products you buy actually meet the sustainability criteria you set. TCO Certified offers this verification, providing both manufacturers and buyers with the confidence of third party verification," concludes Niclas Rydell.
TCO Certified is an international third party sustainability certification for IT products. Criteria in TCO Certified address environmental and social risks throughout the IT product life cycle. This unique mix of criteria makes TCO Certified the world's most comprehensive third party certification of IT products.
