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SHANGHAI, May 27, 2013 – R2 Solutions is announcing significant updates to its R2 certification standard at the Bureau of International Recycling’s 2013 World Recycling Convention & Exhibition in Shanghai, China. The new standard, R2:2013, greatly increases the oversight and quality assurance tools critical to a voluntary certification program. With a more stringent, accountable program, R2:2013 will be the premiere industry certification program for electronics recyclers, and one that can be put into practice anywhere in the world. The new standard will go into effect July 1, 2013. 

“It is essential for the electronics recycling industry around the globe to continuously raise the bar when it comes to data security, the environment, and the health and safety of its employees and surrounding communities,” said John Lingelbach, executive director of R2 Solutions. “With R2:2013, we continue to improve the R2 Standard so that we can offer recyclers and their upstream customers the absolute best in electronics recycling industry practices.”

The R2 Standard consists of 13 provisions. The most significant change to the R2 program is the requirement for all R2 facilities to have an approved environmental, health and safety management system (EHSMS). Currently approved management systems include a combination of ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 or the Recycling Industry Operating Standard (RIOS™) system. The EHSMS requirement improves the integrity and accountability of the entire R2 certification.

Additional highlights in R2:2013 include:

• Enhancing export requirements to more explicitly include compliance with the export and import laws of all exporting, importing, and in-transit countries, not just non-OECD countries.
• Clarifying existing downstream due diligence requirements to better track equipment containing Focus Materials through each downstream vendor until it is sold for reuse or as a commodity.
• Taking a fully comprehensive approach to data security and destruction, assuring the security of all media until it is effectively sanitized or destroyed.

 
The overall goal of R2:2013 is to help IT asset disposition (ITAD) companies optimize their systems and practices and, by certifying to its requirements, assure their upstream clients that they are fully addressing potential risks to brand and potential legal and financial liabilities. 

The updated standard was developed after a thorough evaluation of the current R2:2008 standard by a multi-stakeholder group, the R2 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Participants in the TAC deliberations included representatives from Best Buy, Dell, Microsoft, UPS, the United States federal government’s General Services Administration (GSA), and some of the most progressive large and small electronics recyclers and refurbishers. All these entities had an interest in developing the most rigorous standard for the electronics recycling industry.

The R2 Standard was originally developed by a multi-stakeholder group convened by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA encourages all electronics recyclers to become certified and upstream customers to choose certified electronics recyclers. The EPA currently lists R2 as a certification option under its eCycling resources. 

There will be a transition period of 18 months for those certified to R2:2008.

Currently, nearly 400 electronics recycling facilities have been certified to the R2 Standard. While the majority of certified facilities are in the United States, the R2 Standard’s reach is global with facilities certified in Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, England, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa.

To learn more about R2:2013 and to get certified, please visit www.R2Solutions.org.

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About R2 Solutions

R2 Solutions (R2S) is a non-profit organization established to house the R2 Practices. We conduct educational and outreach services and provide administrative support for the multi-stakeholder R2 Technical Advisory Committee. Our goals:

• Assure open, transparent, and balanced governance of the R2 Standard
• Educate about responsible recycling practices
• Promote the use of the R2 Standard
• Explore opportunities for collaboration in furtherance of responsible electronics recycling throughout the world