Partnering to create a standardized environmental management tool: the Environmental Product Design (EPD) database

A partnership has been created amongst Environmental and Occupation Risk Management [EORM(R)], Quantum Corporation, the Personal Productivity Products Division of Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI), and Lucent Technologies to implement a systematic approach to managing environmentally restricted substances (ERS) in products. The purpose of this system is to meet an increasing number of market requirements regarding substances in electronic products while controlling costs and avoiding impacts to time to market. An important component of the overall substance management system is the Environmental Product Design (EPD) Database, a software tool created to facilitate the collection, management, and application of product environmental data and associated international regulations restricting substance use and disposal. After providing a brief introduction to the project purpose and goals, this paper outlines major steps taken in database development to ensure utility within the user-community. In closing, a model implementation scheme for ERS Management including the EPD Database is presented.