The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. will host the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first informational session to discuss its draft best management practices for electronics recycling document. The meeting will take place during ISRI’s 2007 Convention and Exposition April 20 at 6:30 p.m.
The information session is an opportunity for a broader range of interested parties to learn about EPA’s ongoing efforts to develop voluntary national standards for electronics recyclers. The meeting will explain the development and current content of the draft best management practices document as well as allow a wider audience to provide input on the proposed standards.
"It is a privilege for ISRI to host and be a part of this important process," said ISRI president Robin Wiener. "ISRI expects this collaborative process to produce a set of voluntary practices that help ensure responsible electronics recycling."
Since January 2006, a group of stakeholders has discussed and provided extensive comments on numerous drafts of a straw proposal developed by facilitator John Linglebach of Decisions & Agreements. The purpose of the best management practices document is to develop a commonly-accepted set of requirements for use in certification programs that assess electronics recyclers’ environmental, related health and safety, and security practices using independent third-party auditors.
"The effort to develop national best management practices for use in voluntary certification programs for the electronics recycling industry has made great strides," said facilitator John Lingelbach. "We are now at a stage in the process where we need to update the broader community about the effort and get their input on its direction."
Members of the working group that participated in the current document’s development include U.S. EPA, state environmental agencies, ISRI, the reuse and refurbishing industry, public interest groups and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
The current version of the document will be available to interested parties beginning April 12 by contacting facilitator John Lingelbach at jl@decideagree.com.