Razer is approaching environmental sustainability starting from the top. In figuring out how to make its products more environmentally friendly the company is starting with two of its best-selling peripherals, the Basilisk V3 and DeathAdder Essential.
These mice are the first two products in the Razer catalog to receive UL’s Ecologo certification. That certification will be reflected on packaging by the end of 2022, but is already a fact.
UL is a global safety certification company. It’s based out of Illinois, has offices in 46 countries, and it is one of the companies OSHA recognizes can perform approved safety testing. The Basilisk V3 and DeathAdder Essential both passed UL2710.
UL2710 is an investigation which looks into manufacturing materials, energy use, end-of-life management, extension of useful life, packaging, corporate practices and manufacturing and operations.
“Through the use of the Ecologo Mark, companies like Razer can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and a cleaner environment through credible, third-party review and certification by one of the most trusted ecolabeling programs in the world,” said UL’s Doug Lockard, in a statement to GamesBeat. “Ecolabels, such as an Ecologo Certification, UL Greenguard Certification, Environmental Product Declarations or Environmental Claim Validation, can help customers make informed purchasing decisions and select products with the desired environmental and sustainability attributes.”
Razer’s the first gaming manufacturer to get certified
Having the Ecologo mark is a pretty huge deal. If you’re shopping and one of your choices has the Ecologo mark you can be confident it’s a good choice. At the very least you’re making a choice with a lower overall environmental impact.
Computer keyboards and mice could have passed the requirements and qualified for Ecologo certification at any point up to now. No manufacturer has bothered. Not until Razer, anyway. It might just be two mice right now, but Razer wants to nail eco-labels on all of its products eventually.
“What better way to celebrate World Environment Day than to share with our community that the very mice that help them win in games are also a win for the environment,” said Razer’s Kenneth Ng. “Unlike companies making their own claims about their products being sustainable, we go the extra mile to prove to our fans that our products are truly sustainable. Our community of gamers can rest assured that their favorite mice have been thoroughly vetted by a trusted scientific organization that looked at a comprehensive list of criteria to award us with the Ecologo Certification.”
This push toward an environmentally sustainable focus is going to impact a lot of consumers. Razer reaches an audience of over 178 million across its hardware and software products.
“Basically there’s around 2.3 billion gamers around the world,” said Ng. “The UNEP (UN Environment Programme) stresses that if climate action were to happen it has to start from the gaming community.. The gamers are essentially the future leaders of the world.”
Razer’s making sure the rest of the industry doesn’t fall behind
Razer isn’t content to stop at just making its own products sustainable. It wants to make other companies do the same. The games industry lacks a standardized way to measure sustainable products, so Razer and UL partnered up to provide one. The two companies have spearheaded an industry-level effort to identify key indicators of environmental impact. They want all other manufacturers of gaming products to measure and monitor these indicators.
It’s a win/win for Razer. Its products are environmentally sustainable. If all the other manufacturers have to follow in their footsteps? Then Razer forced a serious change for the better on the world.