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Find an R2 recycler
Choosing an R2 certified recycler takes the guess work out of hiring a reputable electronics recycler that adheres to the highest industry standards.
To find a certified R2 electronics recycler, click here.
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Become R2 certified
R2 is the leading standard for the electronics recycling industry, setting a high bar for practices that protect the environment, human health, safety and the security of the recycling process. Show your customers that you are an industry leader.
To become an R2 certified recycler, please contact a certification body.
AQA International
Orion Registrar, Inc.
Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc.
SGS
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Additional Certification Bodies may be found at ANAB. |
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Welcome to the R2 Update! This newsletter contains relevant industry information and news pertaining to R2 Solutions, and more importantly the R2 Standard, the leading certification program for the electronics recycling industry.
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R2:2013 Standard Revision Status
R2:2013 - Public comments were reviewed by the R2 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in January. Some of the comments have been forwarded to the R2 Standards Workgroup for a revision of the language within R2:2013. February will be focused on the workgroup making recommended changes to the language per the TAC's instruction. Late in February or early March, the TAC will convene again to review and finalize the R2:2013 standard. Depending on whether the changes are substantive, the revised standard may be released for public comment again on just those sections changed. After the revision is finalized and approved by the R2 TAC, the R2 Solutions Board of Directors will have 60 days to review and ratify the R2:2013 Standard. Anticipated release date is late spring 2013.
Details about the implementation timelines will be forthcoming soon.
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The Search for a New President of R2 Solutions
R2 Solutions is diligently working to put into effect R2:2013, both the revised standard and the associated programmatic changes. At the same time, the Board of Directors is conducting an extensive search for a new President to lead the organization through the next stages of its development.
About sixty candidates applied for the position. Many were highly qualified and the Board's Hiring Committee has interviewed a number of them. However, at this time, the Hiring Committee has not settled on a single candidate. We expect to have this situation addressed within the next month or two.
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R2 Certified Logo Usage
The R2 Certified Logo was created by R2 Solutions. It is the property of R2 Solutions and provided to R2 certified organizations upon request and successful certification. The proper method to use the R2 logo is by requesting it after certification. R2 Solutions is happy to provide high resolution files for R2 Certified locations to use in proudly displaying their accomplishment.
As part of the transition to R2:2013, official logo usage rules will be incorporated. In general, we expect that the R2 Certified logo will be legible, and linked to the http://www.r2solutions.org where used electronically. It may only be displayed relative to R2 certified sites and shall not mislead consumers to believe that other company locations are also certified. Therefore, when an organization has multiple sites, it must reference those specific sites certified if not all are certified. Should you see others displaying the logo that have not been certified, please let us know so we may address these.
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R2:2013 Preview: Is there a land disposal ban?
To prepare for the coming transition to R2:2013, we are covering new requirements under consideration. The R2:2013 Standard is currently a DRAFT. Public comments have been received and the R2 TAC is finalizing the R2:2013 Standard.
R2 Solutions was recently informed that several people had stated the R2:2013 bans land disposal. For the most part, they are correct. Land disposal is not allowed for Focus Materials. Consistently, it is not allowed in the current version either.
Provision 5(d) of the R2:2013 Standard specifically prohibits energy recovery, incineration, or land disposal as a management strategy for Focus Materials (FM's). This includes all components containing circuit boards, CRT glass, mercury, batteries, and polychlorinated bi-phenyls (unless required by law). It does not specifically prohibit other materials such as cardboard packaging, plastic, and metal. Under provision 2(a)(3) these non-Focus Materials could use these strategies if no reuse or recycling options are viable.
Provision 5(d) does make an exception for "extreme and rare circumstances".
These cases would be inflicted by, for example, natural disasters like fire, flooding, or tornadoes. Although it may be permitted short-term in accordance with law, as the R2 Guidance document states it would only be permitted in "hazardous waste facilities or landfills".
The bottom line is that R2:2013 is a voluntary standard above and beyond legal requirements. Reuse and recycling are the preferred methods. Organizations are certifying to the R2 Standard voluntarily. To allow landfill or similar strategies merely defeats the intent of the R2 Standard to promote responsible recycling practices. R2:2013 is not a disposal standard.
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CRT TV's & Monitors: More than just glass
As we develop more and better techniques to audit our downstream partners and rely more on R2 certifications to reflect conformance in handling the upstream material flow we need to keep in mind that CRTs, cathode ray tubes from monitors or televisions, have more Focus Materials (FMs) than just the glass portion. In this article we will focus on the non-glass FM portions of CRT display devices: circuit boards and leaded glass with the gun, yolk, and elsewhere. This discussion is intended to provide information to customers, recyclers, and auditors.
To safely remove the yoke from a tube, one must release the stainless bands that bind the yoke to the tube, then twist to loosen. This is generally done when the tube is still whole. If the tube is to be recycled, the vacuum is generally released prior to removing the yoke. If the tube is to be reused, the vacuum must remain intact. If the yoke is properly removed from the tube, no glass or gun will remain on the yoke. But there is still often a small circuit board attached to the yoke that must be removed. This is a low grade circuit board that can be recycled with the other CRT circuit boards. Once CRT glass and circuit boards are removed, yokes are no longer classified as an FM. You may still track the material but it no longer needs to be tracked as an FM.
The gun is similar. This is the back portion that protrudes from the end of the funnel. The glass around the gun is leaded in most instances. Many companies send the gun with the tube for recycling by their downstream glass partner. If it is removed, it is presumed to be CRT glass and must continue to be managed as an FM.
This leads us to the last, and possibly largest gap in the FM plan for many companies. The circuit boards present on CRT devices are very low value and contain large heat sinks, lots of loose wires and small transformers. Often the boards are mounted on plastic or steel and the upstream supplier may leave the board attached to the other material. All these materials have value, but to go to a smelter, the boards must be shredded to size first. After shredding, most downstream processors remove the aluminum, copper, transformers, wire, etc., by manual or mechanical means, prior to shipping to the smelter. The smelters of this low grade of board are generally in Korea, Japan, and Canada. Most European smelters do not typically focus on this grade, as the return is not great and capacity, while expanded, is still tight. One European exception is in France.
A fully functioning due diligence program and FM Management Plan should account for all these Focus Materials contained in a CRT tube. The downstream due diligence must track all the FMs to their end smelter / processor. Customers and processors should carefully evaluate and plan for the management of all these materials in the CRT. Auditors should be checking for the flow of circuit boards and all components with CRT glass through the final processor. |
We want to hear from you! Please send along any R2 related news or information that you think would be important to share with the electronics recycling community.
Thank you!
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