R2 UPDATE 
A publication of SERI
 
588 R2 certified f acilities in 21 countries

March 2016
Professor Oladele Osibanjo joins SERI Board of Directors
SERI is honored that Oladele Osibanjo of Ibaden, Nigeria has joined the SERI Board of Directors.  For many years, Professor Osibanjo has been an ardent proponent for responsible global management of used and end-of-life electronics.   In particular, he has worked to address the difficult and urgent challenges faced by developing countries, especially in Africa.   

Professor Osibanjo has held a number of prominent positions during his distinguished career.  He recently retired from his position as Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria after 40 years of service. 

He served as Executive Director of the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for Training & Technology Transfer for the African Region until his retirement this past December. 

Professor Osibanjo also recently retired as Co-chair of PACE -- the Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment.  PACE is a multi-stakeholder public-private partnership established at the 2006 meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention.  Its charge is to develop strategies for assuring environmentally sound refurbishment, repair, material recovery, recycling and disposal of used and end-of-life computing equipment.

“It is a great pleasure that l will have the opportunity to contribute to the work of SERI, especially from a developing country perspective,” says Professor Osibanjo.  “I look forward to working with the other members of the SERI Board as we chart the organization’s future.”

Professor Osibanjo’ experience and commitment to responsible global management of used and end-of-life electronics are well aligned with SERI’s mission:

SERI works to create a world where electronic products are reused and recycled in a way that promotes resource preservation; the well-being of the natural environment; and the health and safety of workers and communities.

“SERI is privileged to have Professor Osibanjo serving on the Board of Directors,” says John Lingelbach, SERI’s executive director.  “We look forward to his insights and efforts to further SERI’s work, especially in developing countries.”
Grow your business with a Campus Allowance

When businesses expand they are often faced with space challenges and the dilemma of whether to move to a new location or add additional location(s) nearby that will operate as a “campus”.  Factored into the decision should be how additional locations may affect your R2 certification and the total cost. The R2 Code of Practices offers a solution that can be beneficial for growing companies:  a “Campus Allowance.”

A Campus Allowance enables a company with multiple addresses operating together in the same metropolitan area to be certified together under a single R2 certificate. All included locations must operate under the same management structure and the same EH&S management system.  Although a site visit of each facility is still required, auditing a single management system that applies to all facilities can significantly reduce the audit time and costs.  Additionally, SERI only requires one R2 license for all facilities listed on a campus certificate. 

For example, a company that stages materials at a warehouse, then transfers repairable equipment to a different site for refurbishing, and recyclable material to yet another site for further processing would be eligible for a campus allowance -- as long as they are operating under the same management system in the same metropolitan area.  Allowances do not change the R2 Standard requirements, but they can simplify things and reduce costs – in this case, three separate reviews of the same management system would not be required.  Allowances must be verified and approved by the Certification Body and identified on the R2 Certificate.  
  R2 Leaders meet for second annual summit

Over a dozen representatives from SERI’s R2 Leader program met in Austin, Texas in early March for a day-long leadership summit.  Attendees provided SERI with feedback on its certification and program activities, discussed shared objectives for their sustainability and electronics recycling programs, and worked to further refine and identify challenges and potential opportunities in responsible e-scrap management.

R2 Leaders also took the opportunity to coordinate on ongoing projects such as the pilot project to assist recyclers in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador to complete R2 Certification.  Representatives from AT&T (representing recently-acquired DirecTV), Microsoft, Arrow, and Sims Recycling Solutions, discussed ways to help control the costs of certification for these recyclers, as well as finalize a schedule for internal audits of the sites, which will take place the last week of March.

Attendees from Arizona DEQ, Blancco Technology Group, CyclePoint, Goodwill Industries International, OneSource Freight, and Sony, discussed options to help streamline and improve the process for collecting used electronics. This included identifying key stakeholders, agreeing on the development of resources and outreach materials, and a plan to continue to work on the project over the coming months.

SERI thanks Microsoft for hosting the meeting at its Austin campus.
How the updated ISO 14001 Standard may affect R2 companies

Over a dozen representatives from SERI’s R2 Leader program met in Austin, Texas in early March for a day-long leadership summit.  Attendees provided SERI with feedback on its certification and program activities, discussed shared objectives for their sustainability and electronics recycling programs, and worked to further refine and identify challenges and potential opportunities in responsible e-scrap management.

  • More Leadership involvement – 14001:2015 requires the leadership of an organization to be involved to a much greater extent in the implementation and management of the Environmental Management System (EMS). 

  • Risk Planning - 14001:2015 expects an organization to not only identify risks and opportunities, but also define a process that addresses those risks. This is more in line with Provision 4 of the R2 standard, which already requires the organization to have a process for risk identification and management.

  • “Life Cycle” perspective - 14001:2015 asks the organization to take into account a life cycle perspective when identifying environmental aspects/impacts which requires organizations to look at processes/products from a cradle to grave perspective.

  • Strengthened Compliance Evaluation - 14001:2015 has greatly strengthened the requirement for evaluation of compliance.  This aligns well with the R2 standard’s emphasis on evaluation of compliance in Provision 3 – thus making it easier for recyclers to integrate the requirements.

  • More emphasis on performance and outcomes – Overall, 14001:2015 has a greater expectation for the organization to protect the environment by improving its environmental performance.    

For more information on how the transition to ISO 14001:2015 will affect your organization, please contact your certifying body.  
  SERI’s Annual Report
The 2015 Annual Report for SERI is now available on the SERI website. 
R2 Training Opportunities
INTRO to R2 WEBINAR

An overview of the R2 Standard requirements and the steps and cost of certification.  No cost to attend.

Fri. April 8,  10am-11:30am CDT

Wed. April 20,  10am-11:30am CDT 

Wed. May 4, 10am-11:30am CDT
ADVANCED R2 TRAINING WEBINAR

This interactive 5-hour training covers the requirements of the R2 Standard in detail.
Cost to attend:  $300 

Tue. April 12,  10am-3:00pm CDT
The R2 Update  newsletter is a publication of SERI, a non-profit organization 
that works to create a world where electronic products are reused and recycled in a way that promotes resource preservation; the well-being of the natural environment; and the health and safety of workers and communities.  To learn more visit:
www.SustainableElectronics.org