For businesses and government agencies that are trying to dispose of their old electronics responsibly and safely, hiring an accredited recycler is the best step to ensure that getting a faster computer doesn’t mean harming the environment or the workers who work with it.
R2 certification, offered by R2 Solutions, an independent non-profit organization, ensures customers that their old electronics are properly disposed of and the data stored in them is safely deleted.
R2 certification focuses on the following:
Make sure the recycler has a written disposal plan for each component of the product and an emergency plan.
Monitoring any suppliers or companies to which components are shipped to ensure they are also following best disposal practices.
Compliance with all national and international laws for the disposal of any hazardous waste, including ensuring that toxic components are not disposed of in landfills.
Ensuring that workers working with products, including those in other countries, are protected by appropriate safety regulations.
Confirmation that all data on older machines has been properly and irrevocably deleted and that all sensitive data is protected
To obtain R2 certification, companies must hire an accredited certification agency to conduct independent audits in accordance with the required standards. This audit included a detailed review of their documents, as well as a visit to any site where the work was done.
In addition, once certified, the processing company must continue to be audited every year and then go through the entire certification process every three years.
R2 is the leading standard in the electronics recycling industry, setting the bar high for methods that protect the environment, human health, and the safety and reliability of the recycling process.