The growing concern for environmental preservation and conservation is such that the practices of industries are done in a way that will help secure the future of our planet Earth. Technology and electronics are being dumped as waste and are causing great danger to the world, as many of them contain chemical compounds that are not degradable and are harmful to our environment. Many people prefer green technology in all parts of the world. Billions of dollars in the recycling industry are estimated, and the recycling industry is growing because of an ever-increasing number of people who want to preserve the planet and also experience the reduction of e-waste.
The disposal of these technologies comes with regulations to ensure that the chemical compounds they emit are handled properly. For companies in the electronics recycling industry, the dumping of e-waste ensures that the Earth is preserved for future use, and policy compliance comes in the form of certification, which ensures the standard of recycling electronics and e-waste. Many events are held around the world to teach the importance of recycling, during which professionals issue a material destruction certificate that certifies that a company’s waste was recycled properly. Some of the themes that will be discussed here are explored in the subsequent sections.
Overview of the Electronics Recycling Industry
The electronics recycling industry has grown rapidly in recent years, due in part to electronic devices being the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Consumers in developed countries buy and discard large quantities of electronic devices. This generates a corresponding volume of electronic waste, or e-waste, which is typically incinerated or landfilled, resulting in the release of toxic elements into the local environment. The estimated global volume of e-waste annually is 52 megatonnes, which includes components such as batteries, mobile phones, computers, and televisions.
The rapid evolution of e-waste increases the need for recycling infrastructure, surveillance, enforcement of regulations, and partnerships. Regulatory, technological, and manufacturer or retailer buyback programs and drop-off recycling receptacles have greatly facilitated consumers’ e-waste management decisions. A variety of charitable, domestic, and export recycling markets and recyclers are available to properly dispose of e-waste. The main stakeholders and actors in electronic recycling are consumers, retailers, manufacturers, charities, recycling firms, states, and countries. These stakeholders themselves contribute to substantial or varied social and/or environmental rewards. The efficient recycling of e-waste is a significant business opportunity in emerging markets.
Consumers know that certain unsafe end-of-life practices for electronics can damage the environment and human health, and most agree that liability for recycling should be borne one-and-a-half times the responsibility by the manufacturer. It is this context of existing and proposed legislation, various alternative recycling scenarios, and burgeoning consumer consciousness that makes certification necessary in the electronic recycling business.
Understanding R2 Certification
The R2 certification standard has been developed for companies, both large and small, in the electronics recycling industry. The R2 standard was written with the primary objective of ensuring that used and end-of-life electronics are managed in a responsible manner and that their ultimate disposition is safe and sustainable. The certification criteria encompass maximizing reuse and recycling to best protect human health and the environment and properly manage the use of toxic material during the recycling process.
The R2 standard underwent a radical transformation to its current version from 2006 to 2008 and was accepted as an American National Standard in October 2008. The R2 certification standard is a chain-of-custody standard that allows each documented shipment of used electronics received by an R2 certified company to be carefully tracked, with the ultimate determination being if that material is reused, sent for downstream recycling, or properly disposed of. Up until the development of the R2 standard, numerous problems were associated with the export of end-of-life electronics from the U.S. to developing countries. R2 certification requires that all R2 certified companies verify that no used electronics are sent to these countries for improper disposal. The R2 certification program was also developed with significant input from many other stakeholders, including the manufacturers of electronic equipment, recyclers, state and federal regulators.
During the period from 2006 to 2008, any subcommittee member had the ability to join the ballot group and voice approval or non-approval in conjunction with their comments. Currently, there are a number of stakeholders from business, non-governmental, state, and federal entities that were integrally involved with the preparation and passing of the standard. Most notably, the U.S. EPA is a strong proponent and stakeholder of the R2 standard. Since the initial development and passage of the standard, a large collaboration of stakeholders has continued to oversee the process of updating and maintaining the R2 standard. Several of the R2 certified recyclers have elected to prepare to be audited to ISO 14001. There has been a strong belief that being environmentally certified has increased business activity in the last couple of years. It has forced companies to look at the positive benefits of an EMS to its infrastructure and the long-term benefits of R2 certification.
Benefits of R2 Certification
R2/RIOS and R2 are created for and reserved for audited facilities that process electronic waste. Working with a downstream vendor that is R2/RIOS certified can be a benefit to an R2 certified computer repair and recycling facility. As of 2022, there are approximately 830 facilities worldwide that are certified to R2, including over 60 in Canada. This is up from the over 750 facilities in over 30 countries that were R2/RIOS certified in 2012. Five of the 25 largest electronics recycling companies are R2. This represents an increase from the 20% of the 25 largest companies that were R2/RIOS in 2012. R2 certified recyclers are both a part of a program that benefits from a monitoring partnership that confirms that used electronics are not exported.
Working with a downstream vendor that is R2/RIOS certified can be a benefit to an R2 certified computer repair and recycling facility. R2/RIOS is also included in a certification program. The resale and complete recycling of personal computers (PCs) has been shown to be significantly more energy efficient than the destruction of the machine, the extraction of the metals inside it, and its disposal in a hazardous waste dump. By gaining R2/RIOS certification and utilizing a “reuse model” instead of a “recycle mode,” corporate organizations can potentially realize a profit on the PCs they donate for recycling. In addition, minimizing shipping costs through donations directly to buyers of donated computers increases a company’s profit on the systems. This is especially important for a company striving for sustainable business practices and subsequently seeking R2/RIOS certification.
Challenges and Solutions in Obtaining R2 Certification
1. Initiation of the R2 Certification Process presents a number of challenges. Cost, according to several participants, is the biggest of these, not just because the certification process itself is expensive, but also because the costs of continuing audits and the required investigation, implementation, and upgrading often place huge strains on a small company’s resources. This, in turn, is linked to the issue of size and available personnel: in the electronics recycling industry, staff turnover is high, job skills regarding the new standards requirements are ‘rather scarce,’ and even top managers are not always fully informed about the range of tests that have to be carried out on some of their output. In addition, filing in and then being able to collate the vast amount of paperwork that R2 Certification demands can be a challenge. Many companies cannot do this in-house because they do not have the right personnel, a situation that can make operations chaotic for several weeks. Loss of business during this period cannot be completely avoided.
2. The job is not done once the R2 Certification is achieved. The cost and effort of having to maintain practical coincidence with ever-changing standards is a massive ongoing issue. Merging environmental and health and safety standards is a nut yet to be cracked. The lead auditor can have many preconceived notions about the way that the certification process should be run for it to be successful and can sometimes be reluctant to bend from this route. Training and education are vital. Consulting firms are key to the success of the certification program, especially where companies do not already possess extensive knowledge and experience concerning standards and certifications. Organizations provide an opportunity for the whole industry to be actively involved in developing the standards rather than just reacting to them. Regulatory bodies and industry groups can also help develop a consensus in customer requirements. It could be useful to adopt supportive approaches where organizations and auditors are new to the R2 Certification standards. Collaboration with consulting firms and other R2 Certified companies can help. Case examples would also be useful.
