Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS) has announced that it has received recommendation for certification to the Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices standard. R2 is a voluntary standard that uses downstream auditing to ensure electronics recyclers are operating to the highest international environmental, health, safety and security standards.
To achieve R2 standard, the company’s downstream customers in Sweden, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and Malaysia were audited to the requirements. Health, safety and environmental performance, product lines, shipping documentation and site security were audited. Also audited were the residual waste streams arising from commodities supplied by SRS and the eventual fate of the commodities.
All SRS’ downstream customers receiving hazardous materials and exporting recycled materials for reuse were found to be fully compliant with the company’s own standards in environmental, health and safety performance. Auditors were satisfied with the systems in place for tracing and tracking materials as they move down the supply chain, providing a fully auditable chain of custody.
“The practices enshrined within it can be applied anywhere in the world, regardless of variations in local regulations, so it is very effective, yet flexible. Another benefit is that it is designed to be compatible with all regulatory environments. This means that recyclers holding the certification can implement changes in regulations as they evolve, so the standard is always current. R2 already goes over and above existing legal requirements in the U.K. and will continue to demonstrate conformance to all applicable national and international laws, wherever it is applied,” SRS CEO Graham Davy says.
The R2 Standard will be awarded to SRS’ electronics recycling facilities at Newport, Billingham, Daventry and Ellesmere Port. The R2 standard is already held at all SRS’ North American facilities with the exception of two recently opened sites in Mississauga, Ontario, and Edison, N.J., which are targeted to be certified in the next six months.
Sims Recycling Solutions says it plans to apply for R2 certification at its remaining operations in Europe during the next 12 months.