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What Is the Challenge?
The Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) is a partnership program that encourages federal facilities and agencies to:
- Purchase greener electronic products.
- Reduce impacts of electronic products during use.
- Manage obsolete electronics in an environmentally safe way.
Federal agencies and facilities participate as "Partners" in the program. The FEC provides Agency and Facility Partners with resources and technical assistance for improving electronics management practices, and gives annual recognition to Facility Partners that have achieved specific goals.
The Federal Electronics Challenge is managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of Federal Environmental Executive. The Federal Electronics Stewardship Working Group acts as an advisory board for the FEC.
Which Products Does the FEC Target?
The FEC primarily targets common office electronic equipment such as desktop and laptop/portable computers, computer monitors, computer peripherals, televisions, printers, fax and copy machines, and mobile phones.
The FEC national program goals focus on computer desktops, laptops, and monitors. The FEC award activities should be implemented for at least desktops, laptops, and monitors, if the type of equipment is not specified in the award requirement.
What are the Goals of the FEC?
The national program goals of the FEC are as follows:
- By 2010, 95% of eligible electronic equipment purchased or leased annually by FEC Partners is EPEAT-registered (PDF, 77 KB).
- By 2010, 100% of eligible computers and monitors in operation at FEC Partner facilities have ENERGY STAR® features (PDF, 44 KB) enabled.
- By 2010, electronic equipment in operation at FEC Partner facilities have an average life span of at least four years.
- By 2010, 100% percent of non-reusable electronic equipment disposed of annually by FEC Partner facilities is recycled using environmentally sound management, as defined by the Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices.
These FEC national program goals align with the federal government's electronic stewardship goals, as defined in Executive Order 13423, "Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management."
The FEC has developed a summary of 2008 program accomplishments (PDF, 90 KB) which includes a qualitative assessment of program activities and a quantitative summary of program accomplishments. Specific partner accomplishments are highlighted in a series of case studies.
