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EPEAT logoThe University of Wisconsin Oshkosh earned a two-star Green Electronics Council (GEC) 2016 Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Sustainable Purchasing Award. The awards recognize excellence in the procurement of sustainable electronics.

Managed by GEC, EPEAT is a free and trusted source of environmental product ratings that makes it easy for purchasers to select high-performance electronics that support their organization’s sustainability goals.

The 38 award winners represented a wide range of organizations, including national, provincial and state governments, leading academic institutions and the healthcare sector.

The combined impact of this year’s 38 EPEAT Sustainable Purchasing Award winners resulted in more than $16.8 million in energy savings, greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing 29,786 passenger cars from the road for a year and a reduction of more than 702 metric tons of hazardous waste.

Over the lifetime of the products purchased, UWO’s impact by purchasing products that meet EPEAT standards will save 181,000 kWh of electricity—enough to power 14 homes in the U.S. for a year—and save $13,611 in energy costs, according to the Green Electronics Council.

headshot of kevin boldtUW Oshkosh measures purchases of computers and printers through state contract vendors such as Camera Corner Connecting Point and Southern Computer Warehouse. All HP computer and HP printer purchases were tracked and reported for the EPEAT Purchaser award and the goal for next year is to report Apple computer purchasing totals, said Kevin Boldt, senior technician for UW Oshkosh Information Technology.

“We work together to make sure technology purchases meet the current and future needs of our faculty, staff and students,” Boldt said. “We also consider the environmental impact of our technology purchases and choose computers and printers which meet at least bronze-level registration under the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).”

Junior environmental studies major and biology minor Ryan Deloge, of Mequon, works in the UWO sustainability office and assisted in applying for the EPEAT sustainable purchasing award.

“Being able to help Kevin Boldt with the 2016 EPEAT Sustainable Purchasing award for UW Oshkosh was a very educational experience and it provided a unique view into the sustainable face of IT,” Deloge said.

For Deloge, working in the sustainability department helps him feel like he is making a difference in the community and develop his skills for his career after UWO.

“Working here at the sustainability office helps me apply concepts I have learned in the classroom to figure out real world problems that, when solved, make Oshkosh an even more environmentally-friendly and sustainable place,” Deloge said.

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