November 10, 2008—Electronics recyclers have a new guide on how to run safe and environmentally protective recycling operations. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of a group of recycling stakeholders, developed the “Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices for Use in Accredited Certification Programs for Electronics Recyclers” to promote better environmental, worker safety, and public health practices for electronics recyclers.
The voluntary guide lists 13 principles to help electronics recyclers ensure their material is handled safely and legally in the US and foreign countries. It calls on recyclers to establish a management system for environmental and worker safety; develop a policy that promotes reuse and material recovery over landfill or incineration; and use practices that reduce exposures or emissions during recycling operations. The principles also call for recyclers to use diligence to assure appropriate management of materials throughout the recycling chain, including materials that are exported to foreign countries.
The workgroup that developed the guidelines represents federal and state governments, electronics manufacturers and recyclers, and trade associations. The workgroup will now focus on establishing a certification process, which will allow consumers easily to recognize responsible recyclers in the marketplace.
