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R2 FACILITY NEWSLETTER: APRIL 2023 | |
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FEATURE STORY:
APPENDIX G, PV MODULES DRAFT APPROVED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
One of the objectives of the R2 Standard is to always look forward to reflect the evolution of our industry and the constantly advancing stream of technology. This is a story of how SERI and the R2 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) have worked for the past 2 1/2 years to meet this objective.
Photovoltaic Modules (PV Modules) have been on our minds as far back as 2015. Their addition to the R2 Standard was considered during the last R2 revision process by the TAC when developing R2v3. However, the TAC recognized that it needed additional input from different stakeholders to properly address PV, so in 2016, the TAC voted to not add them to R2v3.
Fast forward to 2020. SERI had been approached over the years with inquiries about what we were doing, if anything, to think about PV Modules. One important thing we’ve learned from a decade-plus of working toward electronics sustainability is that the best time to address a problem is before you have a problem. Where the R2 Standard was created to try to deal with an existing e-waste challenge that was only growing, PV modules present an opportunity to proactively address a waste stream before it becomes a global problem.
So, from October 2020 to March 2021, SERI convened a small group of experts to reconsider if PV modules made sense for inclusion into the R2 Standard at this time. Based on that workgroup, in May of 2021, the TAC decided to include PV modules in the R2 Standard and added nine new TAC members from the PV industry, including three from facilities, three from customers of facilities, and three from public interest groups.
From January 2022 to March 2023, a PV Drafting Group of R2 TAC members worked on what has become DRAFT Appendix G, PV Modules, the proposed addition to the R2v3 Standard to include PV Modules.
At our just concluded in-person 2023 R2 TAC meeting in Denver, Colorado, and following American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) requirements for Standard revision, the Consensus Body of the R2 TAC approved DRAFT Appendix G to be released for public comment.
Which brings us to today, where we invite the public and interested parties to engage in the process. The period of public comment officially opened on April 28, 2023, and in accordance with ANSI guidelines, will remain open for a period of 45 days, at which time the R2 TAC will consider and respond to any submissions.
If DRAFT Appendix G is substantively modified by the R2 TAC based on comments received, it will be released for another round of public comment. If not, the R2 TAC and its Consensus Body will vote to adopt the DRAFT Appendix G as part of the R2 Standard and move forward with the next steps in accordance with the SERI Manual.
We wanted to provide an update on what has been a thorough and enlightening process, and we will continue to provide information as Appendix G continues to move through the next stages of development.
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HOW TO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENT
In accordance with the ANSI Essential Requirements for Standard developers, we are inviting the public to provide comments on DRAFT Appendix G. To submit comments about the draft additions of Photovoltaic Modules to the R2 Standard, please follow the link. Comments will be aggregated and organized for the R2 Technical Advisory Committee to consider.
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A HELPFUL R2v3 REMINDER
FROM THE R2 DIRECTOR:
A key component of R2v3 is the EH&S Management System. Under Core Requirement 3, all facilities are required to identify, analyze, and control their environmental impacts and health and safety risks.
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HOW R2 IS MEETING
THE CHALLENGE OF DATA SECURITY
Technological advancements and the Internet of Things (IoT) are creating a flood of data-bearing devices that presents new challenges for R2 facilities. If your facility isn’t receiving electronics with data today, it’s likely you will very soon, even if by accident. R2 is constantly evolving to stay at the forefront of these advancements.
One example is the data security requirements in Core 7 of R2v3 that apply to all facilities, regardless of the types of devices they are currently receiving. Another example that you may have heard about is the creation of a SERI Data Experts Group. The 13-member team was assembled in October 2022 and was originally conceived as a short-term working group of professionals with extensive backgrounds in data security and sanitization. The SERI Data Experts Group was charged with providing expertise to help find solutions for data devices that still needed reliable sanitization methods. This format has proved so valuable, SERI has made it an ongoing group. The group is also informing the R2 TAC about the trends in technology and data security, now and into the future.
SERI previously convened a PV expert group to help shape what has become DRAFT Appendix G, and we expect to form similar expert groups as the needs arise. Our “call for experts” will typically be published in this newsletter and through our LinkedIn channels.
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AVAILABLE R2v3 TRAINING CLASSES | |
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NEW TO R2: INTRO TO R2 WEBINAR
If you want to learn more about R2, join us on our Intro to R2 Webinars. They are held 3-4 times per month and are offered to accommodate time zones on all continents.
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R2 AUDITOR TRAINING CLASSES
Looking for in-depth, online, and interactive training on R2v3? These classes are open to auditors, consultants, and facilities. Sign up for the class today!
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LEVERAGING THE POWER OF R2 TO
ACHIEVE ELECTRONICS SUSTAINABILITY
Over 15 years and now across three versions of the R2 Standard, R2 has become synonymous with the responsible reuse and recycling of electronics. It has stood the test of time and become the most widely adopted voluntary sustainability standard for electronics reuse and recycling in the world.
In this newsletter each month, we list a wide range of conferences and other opportunities where we attend, engage, exhibit, or present. Whether the topic is Electronics Sustainability, Circular Economy, Sustainable ITAD, Returns, Purchasing, Repair, or Recycling, R2 serves as our book of knowledge. When we speak, we ask audiences to rethink their relationships with electronics both as consumers and in business. We explore the differences between ITAD and Sustainable ITAD; Returns and Sustainable Returns; Mobile and Sustainable Mobile; Recycling and Sustainable Recycling. And when choosing a partner in the reverse supply chain, R2 Certification how customers know that it's done sustainably.
We do this because no matter what we know to be true within our own industry, without the commitment from businesses, consumers, and regulators, we’ll never get where we’re trying to go – a world with responsible management of used and end-of-life electronics everywhere. At the end of the day, we need everyone making better decisions, and making commitments to R2 is how we can shift the world to a sustainable and circular economy for electronics.
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THE POWER OF THE R2 KNOWLEDGE BASE:
The R2 Knowledge Base is filled with videos, implementation articles, podcasts, and more helpful resources, all built to support the R2 community through the R2 certification process.
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SERI'S COLLABORATION WITH
E-WASTE WORLD CONFERENCE & EXPO
Attention IT Resellers, Traders, Refurbishers, and Mobile Repair providers in Europe – we’ve got a few things in the works that we think you might find valuable!
First, SERI is collaborating with the E-Waste World Conference & Expo in Frankfurt, Germany (June 28-29) to rethink one of their conference tracks, Circular Electronics, Remanufacturing, & ITAD to go beyond recycling and focus on the entire lifecycle of electronics including repair and remarketing/ITAD. We’ve brought in some great speakers from leading organizations to cover a wide range of topics that we think you’ll find interesting, including Logitech, Fairphone, Chia, Phonecheck, eBay, and many more.
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Second, in conjunction with the conference and coordinating with CTIA and ASCDI, SERI is inviting you to two free-to-attend half-day workshops and networking opportunities.
The first is for Mobile Repair providers, Leveling Up Trust in the Mobile Space, June 27, 9:30-11 a.m.
The second is especially for IT Resellers, Traders, and Refurbishers, Sustainable IT Equipment Resale - The Future of IT Asset Disposition (ITAD), June 27, 1-4 p.m.
Space for both workshops is limited, and while we encourage you to add the full E-Waste World Conference & Expo to your plans, conference attendance is not necessary to participate in the workshops. There is also a free Expo pass to visit the exhibitor floor at the conference.
For details and to submit your application to attend, please click below:
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ASK THE R2 GURU PODCAST
These podcasts are a series of short and helpful tips designed for electronics recyclers and refurbishers interested in the R2v3 Standard and the certification process.
Grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and give them a listen today.
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EVENTS:
CHAMPIONING ELECTRONICS SUSTAINABILITY AROUND THE WORLD
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SERI’s mission is to create a world where electronic products are reused and recycled in a way that results in resource preservation, the well-being of the environment, and the health and safety of workers and communities. To accomplish our mission, we look for opportunities to engage with various stakeholders on electronics sustainability and the value of R2 Certification, and working with R2 Certified partners.
This past month, R2 Director Mike Easterbrook participated in the panel “The Growing Data Security and Destruction Movement,” and R2 Guru Roger Greive moderated the panel “Reuse and Recycling in a Changing World of IoT” at ISRI 2023 in Nashville, TN.
Here's where we're headed next:
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IAITAM Ace, Nashville, TN, May 9-11 - Roger will be moderating a panel, "Shifting from ITAD to Sustainable ITAD," and SERI will have a booth to promote R2v3 for Sustainable ITAD.
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SERI is also coordinating other opportunities around the conference:
Both workshops are free to attend. See the preconference workshop page for more information.
- SERI will also exhibit at the conference.
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HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Let us know what questions you have or what resources you would find valuable. The SERI Team is here to help!
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The R2 Update newsletter is a publication of SERI, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to create a world where electronic products are reused and recycled in a way that promotes resource preservation; the well-being of the natural environment; and the health and safety of workers and communities. | | | | |
