Quick Links

Training

Webinars

This five hour course covers the requirements of the R2:2013 Standard.

Auditors, consultants and

facility managers are welcome to attend.

Cost: $300

Monday, August 4

10:00am-3:00pm

(Central Time)

Monday, August 25

10:00am-3:00pm

(Central Time)

Monday, September 15

10:00am-3:00pm

(Central Time)

Monday, September 29

10:00am-3:00pm

(Central Time)

Please note reservations should be made a week in advance of the class.

To reserve your spot,

please respond by email to:

Patty@SustainableElectronics.org

Be sure to include:

-Webinar Date

-Your name, phone & email

-Your Company name

*If less than 2 people register for
a given date, the webinar will be rescheduled and you will be notified prior to the class.

Your Ad Here!

If you are a service provider to R2 Certified companies, contact us about advertising in
our newsletter.

Patty@SustainableElectronics.org

Become R2 Certified

R2 is the leading global 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.

NSF

Orion Registrar, Inc.

Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc.

SGS

SAI

TUV SUD

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!

-the SERI team

In This Issue

Deadline for upgrading to R2:2013 approaches

Good momentum for SERI's R2 Leader program

Q&A - Testing Specialty Equipment

New R2 Workshops for fall conferences

Deadline for upgrading to R2:2013 approaches

The transition period for upgrading from R2:2008 to R2:2013 is soon coming to a close at the end of this calendar year. Beginning January 1, 2015, R2:2008 certificates will no longer be valid. Companies that have not upgraded prior to that date will be without R2 certification until they get certified to R2:2013. If you have not scheduled your R2:2013 upgrade audit with your Certification Body, it is important that you do so - auditor schedules are filling up quickly.

SERI'S R2 Leader program has momentum

after successful launch

Since its launch in June, the response to the R2 Leader program has been overwhelmingly positive and momentum is strong. R2 Leaders kicked off with a coalition of 10 partners including DIRECTV, Goodwill Industries International, Greeneye Partners, Keep America Beautiful, Microsoft, Panasonic, Sony America, SourceAmerica, Wistron Corporation and Xerox. Several R2 Leader partners have already begun coordinating with SERI and each other on upcoming projects that will be announced in the coming months.

SERI designed the R2 Leader program to do two things: (1) recognize the companies, organizations and other groups that are conducting and supporting safe and sustainable reuse and recycling of electronics, and (2) help coordinate the different efforts of all these organizations to find synergies and further advance sustainable electronics issues.

R2 Leaders take a leadership role in a project to advance responsible reuse and/or recycling around the world, such as funding pilot projects for responsible recycling in developing countries, or creating new programs for electronics collection, refurbishment or recycling. Importantly, they also express support for the underlying mission of SERI and R2, and strive to use certified e-recyclers to responsibly manage their ITAD needs.

There has been incredible interest in the R2 Leaders program since its launch and SERI is working hard to keep that momentum going. Staff members are currently in talks with numerous additional companies and organizations regarding their participation in the Leader program. If your organization would like to participate in the R2 Leader program, or if one of your business partners would be a good candidate for the program, please email Henry Leineweber, SERI Program Director, at Henry@SustainableElectronics.org.

Send Us Your Questions

Each month we will try to answer one or

two of the most frequently asked questions.

Testing Specialty Equipment

Q. I'm a broker and I frequently come across specialty equipment (such as telecom or servers) that has been decommissioned due to an upgrade. Most of this equipment is working, but most recyclers don't have the ability to test this kind of specialized equipment. Is it possible to meet the Provision 6 testing requirements by outsourcing testing to the prospective buyer?

A. The new testing requirements in Provision 6 of the R2:2013 were put in place to offer more protection for buyers of used electronics, and to prevent irresponsible - and often illegal - transport of e-scrap under the guise of "reuse." For most electronics, testing can be easily be accomplished in a recycling facility. Specialty electronics that are industry specific such as telecom or sound equipment, however, can present more of a challenge. In many cases, this type of equipment must be integrated into a larger, working system in order to test for full functionality.

For recyclers or brokers who lack the specialized testing equipment or expertise to effectively test this type of equipment, it is essential that they educate upstream customers about the value of "R2 testing BEFORE decommissioning." This will facilitate proper testing and documentation while the equipment is still integrated and functioning in its native environment. Without the ability to test for full functionality, used electronic equipment cannot be sold for reuse - thereby reducing its value and potentially leading to environmentally sub-optimal management of the equipment.

Another alternative is to outsource testing. This requires a due diligence audit of the testing vendor to ensure testing conforms to the requirements of Provision 6 (testing & reuse) and Provision 8 (data security). In some instances it may be possible that testing by a prospective buyer could satisfy the testing requirements -- but there are many issues that would first need to be considered, such as:

Has the testing vendor been qualified through an audit?
What is the test plan, and do the test methods conform to the R2 requirements?
How will quality control be integrated in the testing process?
What controls are in place for appropriate packaging and shipping?
How will throughput be tracked if residual FMs do not go to an R2 facility?
What ongoing monitoring will take place to ensure conformance?
How will the testing and data wiping records be made available for review during an R2 audit?
What happens if the equipment fails after the buyer receives it?

To maximize legitimate opportunities for reuse, the cultural mindset of how companies upgrade and recycle decommissioned electronics equipment needs to shift. It is possible to change the cultural mindset: we've seen this happen with protecting air and water quality; conserving energy; reducing litter; and other initiatives. This is no different. We're already witnessing a shift in the cultural mindset as more companies promote and implement green initiatives. Now the message of "R2 testing BEFORE decommissioning" must also be included in the conversation. That begins with one person, one company, one systems upgrade at a time. SERI is working to spread this message, but it also needs to come from recyclers and brokers in the marketplace. "R2 testing before decommissioning" makes economic sense for the upstream customer, the broker and the end purchaser -- all while benefiting the environment.

Please submit questions to Patty@SustainableElectronics.org

New R2 Workshops for e-Scrap & ICRS

SERI will be introducing new R2 workshops for upcoming conferences this fall. A "New to R2" workshop will be targeted to recyclers who are considering, or are in the process of implementing, the R2 Standard. This workshop will be practical and hands-on, with the emphasis on showing rather than telling how to get certified. Participants will be able to see actual samples of due diligence audits, downstream vendor documentation, management plans, etc., so they can better visualize and understand what the R2 standard requires. This workshop will also explain the benefits of R2 certification for recyclers - and for their upstream customers.

A second workshop will be targeted to recyclers who already are certified to the R2 Standard and have a working knowledge of it. It will feature a Q&A panel of experts, and offer practical advice relating to some of the most common and challenging implementation questions. Importantly, this workshop will also provide tools and marketing ideas to help maximize the value of R2 certification in the marketplace.

For more information or to register for the upcoming e-Scrap conference, visit e-Scrap 2014.

For more information or to register for the upcoming International Computer Refurbishers Summit, visit: ICRS 2014.