Australian Government
ICT Sustainability Plan 2010-2015
Mandatory Environmental Standards
GUIDELINE 3
Environmental Standard 3 (ES3)
Product take-back, reuse and resource recovery
Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1
THE STANDARD ............................................................................................................................ 2
PURPOSE OF THIS STANDARD ....................................................................................................... 2
WHEN DOES THIS STANDARD APPLY ............................................................................................. 2
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETING THIS STANDARD ........................................................................ 2
WHAT IS PRODUCT TAKE-BACK? ................................................................................................................. 2
WHAT IS APPROPRIATE REUSE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY? .............................................................................. 3
WHY IS PRODUCT TAKE-BACK AND APPROPRIATE REUSE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY IMPORTANT? .......................... 3
WHAT IS THE NATIONAL TELEVISION AND COMPUTER PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP SCHEME? ................................... 3
WHAT ITEMS ARE COVERED UNDER THE NATIONAL TELEVISION AND COMPUTER PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP SCHEME? 4
RELATIONSHIP WITH EPEAT AND OTHER LIFE CYCLE ECO-LABELS ...................................................................... 4
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN IMPLEMENTING THIS STANDARD ....................................... 5
LIFE EXTENSION VERSUS ENERGY EFFICIENCY ................................................................................................. 5
AUSTRALIA WIDE COVERAGE ...................................................................................................................... 5
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR ........................................................................................................ 5
RELATED SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES.......................................................................................... 5
ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD 1 .................................................................................................................. 5
COORDINATED PROCUREMENT .................................................................................................... 6
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE STANDARD ................................................................................ 6
CHECKLIST FOR AGENCIES ............................................................................................................. 7
RECOMMENDED READING AND RESOURCES ................................................................................. 8
Introduction
The Australian Government ICT Sustainability Plan 2010-2015 (ICT Sustainability Plan)
introduces a number of strategies and actions aimed at assisting agencies to better manage
the environmental performance and impacts the information and communications technology
(ICT) they procure and use.
Section 2 of the ICT Sustainability Plan focuses on improving sustainable ICT procurement
within Australian Government agencies, given the government is a major consumer of ICT
products and services. It introduces six mandatory environmental standards into ICT
procurement processes to establish minimum levels of environmental performance for
relevant ICT acquisitions. These standards also signal to suppliers and manufacturers the
Australian Government’s intention for improved ICT sustainability practices.
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This is also supported by the Department of Finance and Deregulation’s guidance on the
principles and practices of incorporating sustainability when purchasing for the Australian
Government.1 The sustainability guidance is under the Procurement Policy Framework,
which establishes the Government’s expectation for all departments and agencies when
performing duties in relation to procurement.2 It also governs how agencies procure property
or services and reinforces the fundamental procurement principle of value for money.
The standard
The following guidelines have been developed to help agencies, and suppliers, to
understand and apply Environmental Standard 3 - ES3 (Box 1) within the context of ICT
procurement in Australian Government operations.
Box 1: ICT Sustainability Plan – ES3 extract
Product take-back and appropriate reuse or resource recovery for (a) mobile devices,
such as mobile phones, PDAs and Blackberry devices; (b) toner cartridges; and (c) ICT
equipment covered by the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme under
the National Waste Policy (NWP).
Please note the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme is now called the
National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme.
Purpose of this standard
Australian Government agencies currently manage considerable quantities of ICT equipment
estimated at 350 000 personal computers and laptops, 14 000 servers and 37 500 imaging
devices. By introducing this standard into procurement processes, there is assurance that a
product’s end-of-life impact on the environment is being managed and minimised.
While a number of agencies have already adopted appropriate reuse or resource recovery
strategies this environmental standard mandates this procurement requirement across the
whole-of-government. Consequently with consistent application the Australian Government
will improve environmental performance for the government as a whole.
When does this standard apply
Agencies are to apply this environmental standard in ICT procurement processes and
documentation from July 2010.
Definitions and interpreting this standard
What is product take-back?
In the context of agency ICT contracts, suppliers are responsible for taking back products
after end-of-use for reuse, repair or recycling. This covers contracts for mobile devices and
toner cartridges, as well as computers and televisions items defined under the National
Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme.
End-of-use refers to products are no longer used by the end user for various reasons, such
as upgraded or refreshed at the end of lease term. The product may be in good operating
order, not working and/or damaged.
1
Incorporating Sustainability www.finance.gov.au/procurement/procurement-policy-and-guidance/buying/policyframework/incorporating-sustainability/principles.html
2 Procurement Policy Framework www.finance.gov.au/procurement/procurement-policy-and-guidance/buying/index.html
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What is appropriate reuse and resource recovery?
Appropriate reuse or resource recovery is defined as:
The responsible disposal of ICT equipment, where items (whole or part thereof) are
diverted from landfill and are reused, repaired and/or recovered for resources without
causing adverse environmental and social (including health) impacts.
ISO 26000 defines social responsibility as the responsibility of an organisation for the
impacts of its decisions and activities on society and the environment, through transparent
and ethical behavior that:




contributes to sustainable development, including health and the welfare of society
takes into account the expectations of stakeholders
is in compliance with applicable law and consistent with international norms of
behavior, and
is integrated throughout the organisation and practiced in its relationships.
Why is product take-back and appropriate reuse and resource recovery important?
The materials comprising ICT products are resource intensive where components consist of
hazardous, precious and scarce metals, as well as contain large volumes of plastics, glasses
and other materials. It is well known that serious economic and social issues have been
encountered in developing nations in the pursuit of rare high-tech metals, such as tantalum –
resulting in illegal clearing, harvesting and mining.
The table below outlines those components of ICT that can be recyclable and have
substances of concern.3
Component
Substances of concern
Recyclable materials
Cathode ray tube
Lead, antimony, mercury,
phosphors
Mercury
Glass screens
Lead
Liquid crystal displays
Mercury
Mercury
Circuit board
Lead, beryllium, brominated
flame retardants, cadmium,
arsenic
Gold, silver, palladium
Batteries
Lead, lithium, cadmium,
mercury
Cadmium, cobalt, nickel,
mercury
Power or external cables
Phthalates
Copper
Plastic housing
Brominated flame retardants
PVC
What is the National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme?
Under the National Waste Policy: Less waste, more resources, the Australian Government
agreed to develop and enact national legislation to support voluntary, co-regulatory and
mandatory product stewardship and extended producer responsibility schemes. The Bill was
introduced into parliament on 23 March 2011 and is expected to gain passage in the winter
sitting of 2011.
Following a decision by all Australian environment ministers in 2009, televisions and
computers will be the first products to be regulated under the legislation. The industry-led,
3
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, A National Waste Policy – Managing Waste to 2020,
Consultation paper, 2009, p.36
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national scheme will be phased in from late 2011, following the anticipated passage of the
product stewardship legislation during the Winter sitting of Parliament (June/July 2011).
The scheme is designed to help reduce illegal dumping and divert television and computer
waste from landfill. Access to a range of collection and recycling services will be
progressively rolled out Australia-wide over a period of five years
What items are covered under the National Television and Computer Product
Stewardship Scheme?
Among other things, the regulations will identify televisions, computers and computer
peripherals. The definitions of the products covered by the regulations are based on the
relevant customs tariff codes. The customs tariff codes defined televisions, computers and
computer peripherals as follows:
 Television: a visual display device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal
display (LCD), surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED), organic light
emitting diode (OLED) or plasma unit, with an internal or external broadcast tuner.
 Computer: computer displays, computer desktops and similar, computer mobile units
(eg notebook or laptop computers).
 Computer peripheral: includes items such as keyboards, mouse, hard drives,
scanners, speakers, web cameras, personal or desktop laser and inkjet printers, and
multi function devices. Computer peripherals are also considered to include some
internal computer components, such as motherboards, graphics or network cards and
DVD Drives.
The custom tariff codes are updated every five years and the regulation will reflect these
updates.
It is important to note that it is not intended to capture under the regulations other products
which may contain television or computer-like components such as: motor vehicles,
whitegoods, video game consoles, DVD players and aeronautical or medical equipment. 4
Precise definitions of those products to be covered under the Scheme will be provided in the
regulations. The aim is to ensure that the definitions:
 will clearly identify the product classes to which product stewardship obligations will
apply
 will be linked to Customs tariff codes to provide clarity for liable parties and to enable
the Regulator to use Customs import data to assess compliance by liable parties with
their obligation, and
 will ensure consistency with other obligations, particularly the methodology set out in
the regulations for allocating an enforceable target for each arrangement.5
Relationship with EPEAT and other life cycle eco-labels
The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) and other reputable life
cycle eco-labels include design for end-of-life, life cycle extension and end-of-life
management as an assessment category. EPEAT includes a provision of product take-back
services as a ‘required’ assessment criteria.
However, the product take-back provision under this environmental standard includes
additional product categories than the EPEAT eco-label at this stage. Consequently, product
take-back and appropriate reuse and resource recovery is included as a separate
environmental standard under the ICT Sustainability Plan.
4
Decision Regulatory Impact Statement – Televisions and Computers, Section 3.1 and Appendix B, Environment Protection
and Heritage Council,
www.ephc.gov.au/sites/default/files/PS_TV_Comp__Decision_RIS__Televisions_and_Computers__200911_0.pdf
5 ibid
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Before proceeding to purchase an ICT product it is important to ensure that the product’s
resources are capable of being recovered at end-of-life. End-of-life is defined as – its owner
no longer wants it, and the task of repair (if required) or finding a new owner (such as by
selling or donating the product) is considered to be too onerous.6
Important considerations when implementing this standard
Life extension versus energy efficiency
A key business decision is whether a product should be extended rather than moving to
more energy efficient equipment?
This is a strategic business decision that will depend on many variables. Some generic
issues may include: maintaining business productivity; cost of maintenance; timing of other
planned improvements into the technical architecture; capacity to handle emerging security
issues; software compatibility and maintaining high consistent performance.
An assessment and cost benefit analysis will determine whether life extension meets these
and other business requirements.
Australia wide coverage
Information and updates on the National Television and Computer Product Stewardship
Scheme and its rollout to geographic areas can be found on the DSEWPaC website at
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy/index.html .
It should be noted that Australian Government agencies should take responsibility for the
appropriate disposal of products through their service providers (or other arrangements)
regardless of whether the scheme is available locally.
Things to watch out for
The development of an Australian and New Zealand standard on the collection, handling and
processing of electronic waste has commenced in mid 2011. This standard will set a
minimum performance guideline on how all electronic waste in Australia, including televisions
and ICT equipment should be managed. It is expected that this Standard will be completed in
late 2012.
Agencies should regularly review the National Waste Policy website for updates on the
scheme.7
Related sustainability strategies
Environmental Standard 1
While the Australian Government has introduced an environmental standard for reuse and
resource recovery for relevant ICT equipment, Environmental Standard 1 (ES1) also requires
agencies to comply with ISO 14024 or ISO14021 at the level of EPEAT Silver or equivalent
as a minimum standard for relevant ICT equipment which includes designing for end-of-life,
life cycle extension, and end-of-life management in the EPEAT criteria.
Consequently, in relation to computers and monitors, ES1 is relevant to meeting the
requirements of this standard.
6
National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme consultation paper, March 2011,
www.environment.gov.au/settlements/waste/ewaste/consultation/pubs/ps-ewaste-consultation-paper.pdf
7 National Waste Policy, “What’s Happening”, www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy/implementation/index.html
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Coordinated Procurement
Coordinated procurement contracting is a government initiative to establish whole-ofgovernment arrangements for goods and services in common use to maximise market
benefits and deliver efficiencies and savings. These arrangements are established by the
Department of Finance and Deregulation and FMA agencies are required to make purchases
through these arrangements.
Agencies should regularly refer to the Whole-of-Government Procurement Contracts,
Arrangements and Initiatives section of the Department of Finance and Deregulation website
(www.finance.gov.au/procurement/wog-procurement/index.html) to review all current
coordinated procurement arrangements relevant to ICT.
Agencies should be aware of the following coordinated procurement arrangements:

Desktop Hardware Panel
The Desktop Hardware and Associated Services Panel was established in October 2010.
The arrangement covers Desktop PCs, Workstation, Thin Clients, Notebooks/Laptops,
and Monitors. Optional associated service to support the hardware, hardware
implementation, management and disposal can also be procured through the panel.
Use of the panel is mandatory for FMA Act agencies.
Enquiries to ictprocurement@finance.gov.au

Major Office Machines Panels
The Major Office Machines Whole of Government Equipment and Support Panel was
established on 19 April 2011. The arrangements cover three categories of ICT equipment
and support including maintenance and consumables (excluding paper):
Category 1 - network printers;
Category 2 - multi-function devices; and
Category 3 - scanners.
Use of the panel is mandatory for FMA Act agencies.
Enquiries to momcontract@finance.gov.au or (02) 6215 2264.

Telecommunications Commodities, Carriage and Associated Services Panel
The Telecommunications Commodities, Carriage and Associated Services Panel was
established In January 2011. The arrangement covers those wireless products and
services, purchased from telecommunications carriers and suppliers including:

mobile voice and data services including SIM cards (Carriage)

mobile handsets, Smartphone handsets and mobile broadband modems (Devices)
and accessories, and

services associated with the above (Associated Services).
Use of the panel is mandatory for FMA Act agencies.
Enquiries to ictprocurement@finance.gov.au
Further references relating to procurement by agencies can be found below under
‘recommended reading and resources’.
Practical application of the standard
The AGIMO Green ICT Procurement Toolkit provides commentary and advice in relation to
the application of sustainable ICT procurement RFT and contract clauses.8 These documents
are in ‘pdf and rtf’ formats, which agencies can download and refer to the relevant clauses for
application in tenders and contracts.
8
Green ICT Procurement Toolkit, Department of Finance and Deregulation, www.finance.gov.au/e-government/strategy-andgovernance/sustainable-ict/green-ICT-procurement-toolkit.html
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Checklist for agencies
The following checklist can be tailored to suit individual agency circumstances and applies
during the request for tender phase.

Activity
Top down management support and awareness of this standard, such as IT
managers, procurement managers, environmental managers, and agency senior
management.
Relevant operational staff alerted to this standard, such as IT officers, Procurement
officers, and staff with authorisation to purchase ICT equipment using a credit card.
Procedures developed for engaging suppliers and procuring ICT equipment under
this standard – inclusion of the standard into relevant ICT procurement templates.
Suppliers alerted to requirements of this standard.
Records of suppliers and equipment purchased to demonstrate meeting the
requirements under this standard.
Share progress/support in meeting the standard with fellow government agencies
via GovDex.
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Recommended reading and resources
Australian Government Policy
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, 2010,
Australian Government ICT Sustainability Plan 2010-15 - the overarching policy for agencies
containing mandatory environmental standards for ICT procurement; and targets and
strategies to achieve sustainability in Government ICT operations.
www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/government/ictplan/index.html.
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities website,
National Waste Policy, www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy/index.html.
Procurement
EPEAT - the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool is an internationally
recognised and respected global registry and eco-label program for green electronics. Its
product environmental criteria and standards are relevant to the ICT Sustainability Plan
www.epeat.net.
Department of Finance and Deregulation, Buying for the Australian Government:
Incorporating Sustainability, www.finance.gov.au/procurement/procurement-policy-andguidance/buying/policy-framework/incorporating-sustainability/principles.html.
Department of Finance and Deregulation, Green ICT Procurement Toolkit, includes
commentary and advice in relation to the use of the RFT and contractual clauses
www.finance.gov.au/e-government/strategy-and-governance/sustainable-ict/green-ICTprocurement-toolkit.html.
Department of Finance and Deregulation, ICT Procurement,
www.finance.gov.au/procurement/ict-procurement/index.html.
Department of Finance and Deregulation, 2011, Procurement Policy Framework,
www.finance.gov.au/procurement/procurement-policy-and-guidance/buying/index.html.
Department of Finance and Deregulation, Whole-of-Government Procurement Contracts,
Arrangements and Initiatives, www.finance.gov.au/procurement/wog-procurement/index.html.
Guidance Materials for the ICT Sustainability Plan
The following suite of guidance materials has been prepared to assist Australian Government
agencies and the ICT industry to understand the requirement of the Australian Government’s
ICT Sustainability Plan. They can be found on the Australian Government ICT Sustainability
website www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/government/ictplan/index.html. Agencies can
also access them on the ISAGA GovDex site www.govdex.gov.au/ (email
sustainableict@environment.gov.au to request access to GovDex).
Guidelines
Guideline 1
Environmental Standard 1: ICT equipment environmental standards
Guideline 2
Environmental Standard 2: ICT equipment and ENERGY STAR®
Guideline 3
Guideline 4
Environmental Standard 3: Product take-back, reuse and resource recovery
Environmental Standard 4: Recycled content office copy paper
Guideline 5
Environmental Standard 5: Used packaging requirements
Guideline 6
Environmental Standard 6: ICT Suppliers and Environmental Management
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Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet 1
Glossary
Fact Sheet 2
Fact Sheet 3
Responsible suppliers
Evaluation measures and weightings for procurement
Fact Sheet 4
ICT Sustainability Scorecard
Fact Sheet 5
Strengthening agency management systems
Fact Sheet 6(a)
Fact Sheet 6(b)
EPEAT Silver or equivalent eco-labels
EPEAT Criteria
Fact Sheet 7
ICT Sustainability Initiatives
Fact Sheet 8
Incorporating sustainability principles and practices into procurement
Fact Sheet 9
Agency Actions
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