SRS Facility in India Achieves R2 Certification

Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS), which bills itself as the largest electronics recycling company in the world, has announced that its electronics recycling facility in Chennai, India, has earned certification to the Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices standard.

R2 is a standard that uses downstream auditing and is designed to ensure that electronics recyclers are operating to its environmental, health, safety and security standards. This includes ensuring that customers who receive exported materials are fully compliant with Sims’ standards in environmental, health and safety performance. It also is designed to ensure that there are systems in place to track materials as they move down the supply chain, providing a fully auditable chain of custody.

SRS’ move to modernize its electronics recycling facilities in India follows the passage of new electronics recycling laws in India. The company says that its Chennai facility is the first and only electronics recycling facility in India to hold each of the standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BS OHSAS 18001and R2.

Since starting its electronics recycling operations in India five years ago, SRS says it has expanded its presence in the country. The company opened its first site in Chennai in 2007 when it acquired Trishyiraya Recycling India Pvt. Ltd. Since then, Sims has opened sites in Bangalore, Pune and Delhi.

The Indian facilities primarily collect WEEE materials, predominantly electronic equipment for IT manufacturing companies, large ITES providers, automobile and ancillary manufacturers, heavy and light engineering/white goods. The facilities have a plant capacity of 4,800 tons per year.

“As the world’s largest electronics recycler, we are used to operating in heavily regulated environments around the globe,” says Steven Joseph, SRS business development manager.”We welcome the introduction of the new e-waste legislation in India, which we hope will lead to greater sustainability in e-waste recycling. We are also delighted to have received R2 and to be the most certified e-waste recycling company in India, at this most important milestone in the industry’s development.”

Joseph continues, “We have invested a considerable amount of time and resources in India over the last few years in training staff, providing safe working procedures and gaining certification to international quality standards.