R2, e-Stewards, and ISO: what the certifications mean

R2

R2 stands for Responsible Recycling. It is administered by SERI and it is the more widely held of the two electronics standards in the United States.

R2 covers how a facility tracks material, handles data-bearing devices, manages focus materials such as batteries and mercury lamps, and vets the vendors it ships to downstream. That last part matters more than people expect. A certified recycler is responsible for where its material ends up, not only for what happens on its own floor.

R2 permits export, with conditions. Material can move across borders if the receiving facility meets the standard and the legal requirements are met.

e-Stewards

e-Stewards comes from the Basel Action Network, an organisation set up around the export of hazardous waste to developing countries.

The practical difference is export. e-Stewards prohibits exporting hazardous e-waste to developing countries outright, where R2 allows it under conditions. e-Stewards also builds on ISO 14001 rather than standing alone, and it has specific requirements around prison labour.

Neither standard is a fake. They reflect different judgements about whether a well-run facility in a developing country should be allowed to receive material. If your organisation has a position on that, it should drive which certification you look for.

Where ISO fits

ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 are not electronics standards. They are management system standards, and they get cited alongside R2 or e-Stewards rather than instead of them.

• ISO 14001 says the facility has a working environmental management system: objectives, monitoring, corrective action.
• ISO 45001 says the same for worker health and safety.

A recycler with ISO 14001 and nothing else has demonstrated it manages its environmental impact in an organised way. It has not demonstrated anything specific about how it handles your hard drives.

You will also see the phrase "aligned with" or "conforms to" a standard. That is not the same as being certified to it, and the distinction is worth catching. Certification means an accredited third party audited the facility. Alignment means the company says it follows the ideas.

Questions worth asking

Four of them separate a real answer from a logo on a footer.

1. What is the certificate number and who issued it? Certifications are registered and can be looked up.
2. What is the scope? A certificate covers named facilities and named activities. A company with five sites may have one certified site.
3. Where does material go downstream? A certified recycler tracks this and can describe it.
4. Is it current? Certifications expire and get suspended.

A recycler who handles those four questions comfortably is telling you something. So is one who does not.