TCO Development

Link: http://www.tcodevelopment.com

Target 

A product certified in accordance with TCO Development’s standard fulfils a number of criteria. This standard covers requirements within the areas of ergonomics, emissions, energy, and ecology. environmental target (incl. indoor climate), energy efficiency, and ergonomy.

Product/service group

According to TCO’99 (criteria of 1999) nearly all groups of office equipments can be labeled. In Europe almost all monitors bear the label so far. Catalogues of criteria have been compiled for LCD monitors and mobile phones in 2001 for the first time. These products can achieve the label TCO’01. The product group of office equipments (TCO’99) was expanded to notebooks and desktop-PCs with the label TCO’05 in 2005. TCO’06 has been developed for multi-functional monitors and TVs.

Awarding Institution & criteria

The awarding institution is TCO Development in Stockholm, Sweden. The criteria are based on a life-cycle perspective and include

1.    the manufacturing process: ISO 14000 or EMAS registered

2.    management of the risks of environmental hazards: environmental policy and responsibility, Eco-document for each product, limits to e.g. ozone-depleting substances, no chlorinated advents and the possibility of recycling

Control mechanisms

TCO Development sets the criteria. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all TCO certified manufactured products consistently fulfil the criteria. The testing has to be made in an accepted laboratory. If a critical component that is shown on the certificate is changed it is necessary to retest some of the parameters.

Relevance on the market

The first TCO labelling took place in 1992 when requirements for displays concerning reduced electric and magnetic fields, energy efficiency and improved electrical safety were introduced. In 1995 the labelling was extended to cover complete computer equipment and ecological, ergonomic and functional criteria were added. In 1999 the requirements were further tightened and a number of new ones added. Also printers, faxes and copiers were added on the product list.

TCO has agreements with 100 manufacturers worldwide and more that 900 display models have been certified to TCO´92, whereas over 1000 have the TCO´95 approval. A large number of displays, a limited number of system units and one single keyboard have achieved the TCO´99 label. The global market share of TCO-labelled displays is already 50 %.