R3NEW joins Wisconsin DNR Green Tier program

The electronics recycling firm R3NEW, Neenah, Wisconsin, has been formally accepted into the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Green Tier program.

The Wisconsin DNR’s Green Tier program offers participants recognition for superior environmental performance; deferred civil enforcement; improved agency relations; the opportunity to be a pioneer in regulatory reform; and the potential for permit streamlining, modified monitoring requirements and alternative compliance methods.

To gain entry into Green Tier, R3NEW certified its environmental management system to the ISO: 14001 standard. The company also holds R2 (Responsible Recycling Practices) certification from the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board.

While R3NEW has tripled in size during the past two years, it has reduced its waste output with a stated goal of becoming a "a zero-landfill company."

R3NEW is participating in Tier 1 of the Green Tier program, which is designed to encourage new environmental goals and innovation in Wisconsin. The Green Tier program encourages businesses and other organizations to voluntarily collaborate with the DNR to move beyond compliance with regulations. In exchange for a commitment to superior environmental performance, the DNR grants benefits to Tier 1 participants, including a single point of contact with the department for easier communications and collaboration.

In joining the Green Tier program, R3NEW was recognized for its commitment to “green” business operations, for helping to stop the flow of valuable electronic components out of state, for engineering new life in local markets for these materials and for creating jobs in the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin, the DNR says.

“I am thrilled that as business entrepreneurs with a bold idea for a new company you decided early on to form a partnership with the DNR,” says Cathy Stepp, secretary of the Wisconsin DNR. “Your leadership is adding to the growing body of proof that we can create new jobs and business opportunities while making a strong and lasting commitment to protecting our environment.”

Jean Romback-Bartels, DNR secretary’s director for northeast Wisconsin, says improper disposal of electronics has led to serious environmental problems. However, he adds, companies such as R3NEW are helping to counter that by keeping toxic metals like lead and mercury out of landfills.

“Green Tier is about leadership, and you've got great leadership right here in this community,” Bartels says. “R3NEW is an incredibly creative company.”

At a ceremony recognizing R3NEW as a Green Tier member, Ernie Valeski, R3NEW operations manager and manager of environmental health and safety, said, “It's in our DNA. It's what we do. We exceed environmental standards. It’s something we live every day.”

R3NEW says it focuses on providing high level of data security for its customers. It uses its own trucks and drivers to collect and transport used computers, copiers and other electronic devices. The company unloads these devices into a secure area of its processing facility, where all data destruction occurs.