More Sustainable E-waste Management

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Federal premium on use of Voluntary Consensus Standards

(Source: CCS Insight and ITU)

• National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995"all Federal agencies and departments shall use technical standards that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies, using such technical standards as a means to carry out policy objectives or activities determined by the agencies and departments.“

• Circular A-119 from the White House Office of Management and Budget"All federal agencies must use voluntary consensus standards in lieu of government-unique standards in their procurement and regulatory activities, except where inconsistent with law or otherwise impractical.“

• Presidential Executive Order 13693 - Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade emphasizing the use of "environmental performance criteria developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies."

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Benefits of the Global Technology Boom

(Source: CCS Insight and ITU)

Global access to:• Information• Healthcare• Education• Banking services• Economic

opportunities

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The Challenge of Unintended Consequences

Illegal Dumping

Illegal Exporting

Data Security Breaches

Significant harm to people and the environment

Estimated 50 million tons of e-scrap generated each year.

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The Challenge of Unintended ConsequencesThe U.S. is not immune to the challenges.

Abandoned Warehouses

Roadside dumping

R2 Standard grew out of growing concern

• Multi-stakeholder group convened by the U.S. EPA, tasked with identifying best practices for recycling growing volume of used electronics.

• Result of this work became known as the R2 Standard for Responsible Recycling.

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Non-profit housing body

for the R2 Standard

A Safe & Sustainable Solution

• Protects people • Protects the environment• Preserves resources• Protects data• Requires legal compliance

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• R2 requires companies to also be certified to approved Health & Safety standard.• R2 adds additional worker & public health

requirements specific to electronics recycling industry.

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Protects People

• Certification to ISO 14001 or RIOS• Tracking of harmful materials throughout the entire

recycling chain.• Due diligence on all downstream vendors.• Legal compliance with all laws pertaining to recycling

and import/export of used electronics.• Pollution Insurance & Financial Closure Plan

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Protects the Environment

• Emphasis on RESOURCE management rather than “WASTE” management

• No landfilling or energy incineration—rethinking what is classified as “e-Waste”

• Emphasis on reuse as most environmentally beneficial option for used electronics. © SERI – Home of the R2 Standard

Preserves Resources

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• Screens reused in electronic toys• CPUs reused in remote controlers

and e-readers• GPUs reused in digital picture frames• Rare/precious metals recovered

and reused

Preserves Resources w/emphasis on Reuse

• Requires industry best practices for data destruction and sanitization.• Requires tight security and chain of custody

controls to protect equipment and data.© SERI – Home of the R2 Standard

Protects Data

• Requires compliance with all applicable regulations, including Federal, state, and loc• Requires compliance with all international

regulations including the Basel Convention where it has been ratified.

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Legal Compliance

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Most Globally Respected Standard for Electronics Recycling & Refurbishing Now operating in 22 countries.

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Dr. Katharina Kummer Peiry Former Exec. Secretary of the Basel Convention for the UN Environmental Program weighs in…

“The R2 Standard provides the most comprehensive solution for safe and sustainable electronics recycling and repair. Its emphasis on reuse, and on resource management over “waste” management, has become increasingly important as electronic use around the world – particularly in Asia and Africa – continues to rapidly increase and deplete limited supplies of natural resources…

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Dr. Katharina Kummer Peiry Former Exec. Secretary of the Basel Convention for the UN Environmental Program weighs in…

“…Clearly, efforts of the past decade to ban exports of used electronic devices and components have not been sufficient to respond to these developments. It is essential to prevent illegal transactions, while improving recycling practices around the world with training, technology sharing and accountability. In this area, the R2 program is leading the way.”

• Encourage/require certification for all electronics recyclers operating within jurisdiction

• Educate residents & businesses.

• Make electronics recycling more accessible (Arizona)

• Join forces with neighboring communities (Scott Co.)

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How YOU can help

• Reduces risk of environmental liability resulting from unsafe recycling methods or illegal disposal.

• Reduces risk of data breach liability.

• Protects company brands from negative press resulting from improper disposal of electronics.

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How businesses & organizations benefit

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For more information about responsible electronics recycling, visit

www.SustainableElectronics.org

Or contact Patty OsterbergPatty@SustainableElectronics.org

(651) 438-3608

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