Maryland Recognized for Successful Sustainable Information Technology for Fourth Year in a Row

The Maryland Green Purchasing Committee Receives award for the Procurement of Information Technology

BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland Green Purchasing Committee, chaired by the Maryland Department of General Services, was awarded the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, known as EPEAT, Purchaser Award for the state’s procurement of sustainable IT equipment. The award was presented by the Global Electronics Council.

“The Department of General Services is honored to once again receive the EPEAT Purchaser Award,” said Maryland Department of General Services Secretary Atif Chaudhry. “By leveraging our purchasing power to reach our climate goals we can save energy, reduce operating costs, and work to create a healthier planet.”

EPEAT products are more energy-efficient, less toxic, longer-lasting, and easier to recycle. The EPEAT ecolabel assures the products have been tested and verified as green products while addressing labor and human rights issues along the entire supply chain. The award acknowledges Maryland’s procurement of sustainable IT in three important categories: computers and displays, imaging equipment, and servers. 

Maryland has several policy and regulatory mandates in place to support green purchasing, including legislative requirements to purchase sustainable IT products and the mandatory use of certified responsible recyclers of e-waste. In FY 2022, Maryland spent more than $11 million on environmentally preferable IT products including computers and displays, tablets, imaging equipment, and servers. As a result of those purchases, the state was able to document savings of 22 gigawatt hours of electricity, and prevented 4,513 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from entering the atmosphere. $1,875,790 was saved through energy savings of more efficient IT products the state procured.

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About DGS: The Department of General Services is responsible for essential services and programs administered on behalf of the state, including but not limited to procuring goods and services; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; administering the state’s Capital Grants Program; and providing essential services such as inventory control, disposition of surplus property and records management. The Department of General Services Maryland Capitol Police maintains safety and security with statewide jurisdiction in state-owned buildings, state leased facilities, and surrounding areas.