E-Stewards introduces unannounced verification inspections

The Basel Action Network (BAN), Seattle, has introduced its Performance Verification (PV) initiative, which it says is designed “to increase rigor and confidence among stakeholders in its e-Stewards^® certification program.” The PV will involve random unannounced on-site facility inspections to verify ongoing day-to-day performance is meeting the e-Stewards Standard, BAN says. The inspections will be in addition to the normal, prescribed yearly scheduled third-party audits performed by accredited certification bodies.

The new pilot program, which BAN says was approved unanimously by the multistakeholder e-Stewards Leadership Council, starts in May. E-Stewards volunteers will lead the program’s development. The call for volunteers will be issued the week of March 2 along with a notice of changes to the standard to accommodate the program. The program will be funded by a $250-per-site levy on current e-Stewards recyclers’ auditable sites. BAN says the cost is expected to be more than compensated as increased confidence in the program attracts new enterprise customers.

“The response to this idea from our e-Stewards Certified Recyclers and their customers has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Greg Swan, certification director and e-Stewards interim director. “It’s clear that major enterprise and government customers demand greater accountability from our recyclers in light of the numerous horror stories of private data releases and widespread dumping of toxic e-waste overseas, as well as in local landfills and warehouses.”

Precedence for heightened and unannounced oversight activities exists with many standards already, BAN says, including the European Union's CE Marking program related to medical device safety and with the Phoenix-based National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) certification program for information destruction.

“We seek to provide an opportunity for e-Stewards recyclers to demonstrate they operate every day in accordance with their own management systems and the e-Stewards Standard,” Swan says. “In turn, this provides customers with greater confidence that we are indeed always accountable.”

During the inspections, e-Stewards recyclers will be asked to demonstrate conformity with selected requirements of the e-Stewards Standard, BAN says. If evidence is discovered that shows day-to-day operations are not in accordance with the standard, appropriate action will be taken to safeguard the brand and to ensure the nonconformance is dealt with in a way that is to commensurate with the gravity of the circumstances discovered, BAN says.

“We’re very proud of the deep support for the e-Stewards certification program that upholds the highest principles to foster health and safety, global environmental protection and data security,” says Jim Puckett, BAN executive director and founder.

Puckett continues, “Already we have the support of over 50 large enterprise businesses and cities, including Raytheon, San Francisco, San Jose, Bloomberg, Wells Fargo, Boeing and Bank of America, as well as the support of over 70 environmental organizations. And this year, we will uniquely enhance the rigor and confidence in our program through the industry’s only real-time verification of truly responsible e-cycling.”