Sims Recycling Solutions' South Africa site receives R2:2013 certification

Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS), a provider of electronics recycling and information technology asset disposition (ITAD) services, has achieved Responsible Recycling (R2:2013) certification at its electronics recycling site in Ballito, South Africa, becoming the first and only site in South Africa to do so. R2 certification is accredited by a third-party certification body and verifies that the company’s processes consider the environment and employee health and safety.

“Achieving the R2 certification at our Ballito electronic waste recycling site raises the bar for WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) treatment companies in South Africa and shows our commitment to recycling end-of-life electronic equipment in the South African market,” says Marc Affüpper, director of SRS, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa).

“As the first organization in this region to hold this certification, this is going to help us further establish a global criteria of operational standards,” he adds.

The R2 Standard is managed by Boulder, Colorado-based SERI, an ANSI-accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit standards development organization. It provides a set of processes, safety measures and documentation for recycling companies. R2 certified vendors manage the repair, disassembly and recycling of end-of-life electronics so customers can have confidence that processes protect the health and safety of workers and the public are environmentally responsible and secure data, SRS says.

“This is wonderful news,” says John Lingelbach, executive director of SERI. “The SRS facility in Ballito, with its R2 certification, is the leader on the African continent for responsible recycling of electronics.”

SRS' Ballito site also is ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 accredited.