R2 NEWSLETTER: DECEMBER 2023

FEATURE STORY

CHAMPIONING ELECTRONICS SUSTAINABILITY 

At this time of year, I like to reflect on the past 12 months, thinking about our learnings and our accomplishments. One of my biggest takeaways is that our team at SERI is extremely ambitious and deeply passionate about our mission of achieving electronics sustainability. This is evident in all the hard work and energy we poured into a wide range of programs, projects, and conferences throughout 2023. And while we accomplished a lot, we are far from done. In fact, going into the new year, we are expanding the team and welcoming new ambitious members to allow us to do even more. I am grateful for our small but mighty group that works hard to maximize our resources to create the biggest impact possible, and I am looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish as a larger group in 2024.  

Speaking of accomplishments, for SERI, the biggest success of 2023 was finishing the transition from R2:2013 to R2v3 in June. As R2 continues to be widely adopted in 41 countries around the world, we saw growth exceed the 1,000 certified facilities mark and now stands at 1,100. R2 continues to be how customers know their data is protected, that electronics are reused to further digital inclusion, and at the end of life, that they are responsibly recycled in an environmentally sound manner. Global demand for sustainable electronics reuse and recycling facilities continues to grow, and SERI added new accreditation bodies in India and Australia in 2023 in response. While the R2 Certification program remains strong, additional programs are needed for SERI to fulfill its mission, and we are excited about what new initiatives like R2U, ReThink, the Champions Program, and an ESG Reporting Standard will bring in 2024. SERI continues to grow, but it’s knowing where we’ve come from that helps us keep perspective on where we need to head next. This is especially true because as the world tackles the e-waste challenge, we recognize we are all at different points in the journey, and much can be learned from past experiences.  

SERI BOARD CHANGES

SERI is pleased to announce changes to its Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2024. 

Mike Watson will take over from Rick Goss as the Board Chair, and Brandon Bray will assume the position of Vice Chair from Venky Murthy. 

A very heartfelt thank you to both Rick and Venky for their leadership. Venky will continue to serve on the SERI Board and as the Board liaison to the new ESG Technical Advisory Committee.   

After many years of volunteer service on the SERI Board of Directors and countless hours of support, Rick Goss will be retiring from the SERI Board. “Rick has been an avid supporter and strong leader steering SERI’s growth to fulfill our mission, and I am grateful for the years of support that Rick has given to SERI. We wish Rick all the best in his new endeavors,” said SERI’s Executive Director, Corey Dehmey.   

Mike Watson is a veteran of the IT industry in many different roles, starting with Dell and finishing his second career at Global Resale. Brandon was an integral part of developing the R2v3 Standard on the R2 TAC while at the U.S. EPA. SERI welcomes Mike and Brandon in their new roles and looks forward to working with the SERI Board in 2024 to grow our impact on electronics sustainability around the world.   

THE R2v3 CERTIFICATION MARK  

As we head into 2024, you may be looking to upgrade marketing materials like websites, trade show booths, or other collateral. Before you do, please make sure you are using the marks in the right applications.  

The R2v3 Certification Mark is to be used only by facilities actively certified to the R2 Standard to show that the facility is certified. The current Certification Mark has “R2v3” inside the chasing arrows and “Certified” beneath. You can only get this mark from your Certification Body, and any non-certified entity is excluded from using it. In fact, since SERI isn’t R2 Certified, we cannot use this mark ourselves. 

The other R2 trademarks (R2 and R2v3) can be used to describe the R2 Standard, not the certification – for example, a Certification Body should not use the Certified Mark on a tradeshow booth since they are not R2 Certified. Instead, they need to use either the R2 or R2v3 trademarks when referencing the R2 Standard. 

To make this easier, including logo and mark guidelines, we’ve created quick-start guides that you can find in our R2 Resource Center. 

A HELPFUL R2v3 REMINDER

FROM THE R2 DIRECTOR

IMPORT / EXPORT REQUIREMENTS

Remember, all exports made by an R2 Certified facility must be documented to include the applicable legal requirements for electronic equipment, components, and materials. Materials include non-FMs such as metals and plastics. If your facility exports metals or plastics, be sure your legal compliance plan and legal compliance audit include the legality of these exports, too. See Core 4(c)(1).   

THE POWER OF THE R2 KNOWLEDGE BASE

The R2 Knowledge Base is filled with videos, implementation articles, podcasts, and more helpful resources, all built to support the R2 community through the R2 certification process. 

If you haven’t spent time in the KB in a while, take a look and see what’s new. 

AVAILABLE R2v3 TRAINING CLASSES

NEW TO R2: INTRO TO R2 WEBINAR 

If you want to learn more about R2, join us on our Intro to R2 Webinars. They are held 3-4 times per month and are offered to accommodate time zones on all continents.

R2 AUDITOR TRAINING CLASSES

Looking for in-depth, online, and interactive training on R2v3? These classes are open to auditors, consultants, and facilities. Space is limited so sign up for the class today!

We are ready to hit the 2024 conference schedule running in January! As we gear up to travel to destinations far and wide, sometimes presenting, sometimes exhibiting, and constantly engaging, we look forward to challenging and being challenged again in the coming year! We publish our schedule here for a couple of reasons. First, we simply hope you’ll catch up with us if you are planning to be in the same places. But even more importantly, we want everyone to know how and where we are sharing our message, talking about electronics sustainability for a global circular economy and, in many cases, how R2 fits as a part of the puzzle. We see educating all the decision-makers to make better choices as a big part of the journey to electronics sustainability, wherever it may take us.  

Where we're headed to start 2024:

• disposITion24, Virtual, January 16-18 – R2 Guru Roger Greive will be part of a panel discussing ITAD Certification Steps and Costs.

• ierc, Salzburg, Austria, January 17-19 – Executive Director Corey Dehmey will be sharing all the new programs SERI is developing for electronics sustainability, including the development of an ESG reporting standard and R2U, vocational training focused on education and skill building. 

• MRAI, Kolkata, India, January 23-25 – Stop by the SERI exhibit and better understand the importance and value of R2 Certification and the role that R2 can play in helping meet new national e-waste regulations. 

• RLA Annual Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV, February 6-8 – Corey will be on a media panel analyzing the best ways to balance security and sustainability with data storage, and we will have an R2 booth in Vegas as well. We’re happy to talk electronics sustainability, R2, ESG, or anything else on your mind. 

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