What Is R2?
Globally, the annual production of electronic waste (or e-waste) exceeds 50 million metric tons. Only 17 percent is known to be properly recycled. Global e-waste contains an estimated 60 billion dollars worth of precious metals and rare earth elements. So it’s clear that electronic waste management is a critical environmental need and an enormous business opportunity.
Beginning in 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), alongside a diverse consortium of NGOs, electronic recyclers, and state regulators, initiated a three-year process to standardize the best practices for electronics recycling. At the commencement, the focus was on reducing the burden on the environment of discarded electronics while also improving the reclamation of valuable materials such as precious metals.
In 2008, the study group released its new guidelines for responsible electronics lifecycle management: the R2 standard. Today the R2 recycling standard is managed and maintained by Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), and R2 is an Approved American National Standard.
Why Businesses Get R2 Certified
There’s a critical environmental need for better electronics recycling and lifecycle management. Current projections show that by 2030, global e-waste will hit 75 million metric tons a year. Many businesses want to be part of the solution, not the problem.
By becoming certified to the R2 standard, a business demonstrates its commitment to a host of state-of-the-art practices in electronics recycling. R2 recyclers do everything they can to extract valuable and reusable materials from discarded electronics while minimizing waste.
Beyond the purely environmental case, R2 makes good business sense. Many organizations have become sensitive to the full lifecycle of the products they use and are seeking to partner with responsible recyclers who can demonstrate a commitment to the highest standards of e-waste management. By meeting the certification for electronic recycling, an electronics recycler or used device wholesaler proves to potential business partners that their end-of-life electronics will be responsibly reused or recycled according to best practices in the field.
How To Become R2 Certified
According to SERI, most R2-certified recyclers achieve documented compliance with the R2 standard in 8 to 12 months. While it’s most common for a business to partner with a dedicated R2 consultant to lead them through the certification process, it’s entirely possible for a company to reach certification independently.
SERI publishes a five-step process to becoming R2 certified, summarized as follows:
- Education to understand the R2 standard
- Implementation to document and adjust facility processes to meet the standard
- Collection of records and evidence that the business conforms to R2
- Internal audit to ensure your facility meets the standard
- Certification audit by a SERI-approved certification body
The Evolution of R2 Practices
R2 is an evolving standard that adapts over time to address industry feedback and the changing characteristics of global electronics usage. R2 has been codified three times:
- R2v1 was the original standard released in 2005.
- R2v2 was the second standard released in 2013.
- The current operative standard, R2v3, took effect in 2020.
During each new release, there is a transition period that allows for expiring certifications to choose to re-certify to the old or new standard. After a certain period, all renewed certifications must meet the new standard.
The current standard of R2v3 is notable for its modular construction around a required set of “core” standards and a series of additional optional standards that facilities can engage with based on their circumstances. These are known as the “Speciality Process Requirements.”
Understanding the Speciality Process Requirements of R2v3
Beyond the R2 certification requirements in the “core” that apply to all businesses seeking the R2 certification, the “process requirements” list the additional standards a business must meet if it engages in specific activities. This modular approach means that a slimmed-down R2 certification is accessible to small businesses that conduct only a few relevant activities. Full R2 certification is needed for only the most comprehensive businesses that are involved in all aspects of electronics reuse and recycling.
Here are the most common process requirements in brief:
- Downstream recycling chain: A facility that hands off some portion of its recycling process to another company or companies must use Appendix A to verify those businesses meet certain requirements.
- Data sanitization: R2v3 specifies standards for removing user data from devices, either by physical destruction or logic sanitization. This is codified in Appendix B.
- Test and repair: Companies that test used devices and repair them (if necessary) or otherwise prepare them to be reused must complete the Appendix C standard. This process requirement specifies device testing and data cleaning procedures.
Other process requirements that are less frequently sought are “Speciality Electronics,” “Materials Recovery,” (which applies to certified R2 scrap recyclers), and “Brokering.” Consult the SERI website for more information on these requirements.
Buying From an R2-Certified Supplier
As we’ve seen in this article, R2 certification is an extensive process that entails a serious commitment of resources by companies that seek the certification. Only businesses that complete the 8- to 12-month certification process have the right to say they adhere to the highest environmental standards and business safety procedures in the used electronics resale and recycling industry.
Doing business with an R2-certified entity helps to ensure safety, quality, and lower environmental impact. By choosing a wholesale used device seller that meets the R2 standard, like WeSellCellular, you’re guaranteed that all sensitive user data is cleansed from the devices, that the devices are tested to the highest standards, and that you’re part of an environmentally responsible supply chain.
