We often say “R2 is how you know,” meaning that every vendor will say they process electronics sustainably and responsibly, but how do you know who actually does? The high bar set by R2 Certification is what gives customers confidence that their electronics partners really will protect the environment, the health and safety of workers and communities, data, and their brands.
One of the key strengths of R2 is in the structural design of the Certification process. To maintain integrity, there is a very intentional separation of roles for SERI and the independent Certification Bodies (CBs) who audit and evaluate facilities.
SERI facilitates the continued development of the R2 Standard, educates organizations on its implementation, and advocates for the global adoption of R2 Certification to build capacity for electronics sustainability around the world. And as the single scheme owner for R2 Certification, SERI also builds the rules for the R2 Certification program and monitors performance of the system.
To prevent any conflicts of interest, SERI has deliberately removed itself from certification decisions. It is the sole discretion of the CB to determine which facilities have earned R2 Certification, and which have not. Since CBs are the ones issuing the certifications, it is also their responsibility to suspend or even revoke the certification of any facility who doesn’t uphold the requirements of R2 in their day-to-day operations.
The goal of the assurance program is to work toward consistency and accountability across all CBs and auditors. Where CBs make determinations about individual facilities, SERI’s work is at the program level.
SERI does quite a bit behind the scenes, supporting the CBs to safeguard the quality and integrity of the R2 Certification program. In fact, there is a SERI team dedicated to assurance of the R2 Certification program. The SERI Assurance team reviews recent audits conducted by the various CBs, proactively conducts unannounced spot inspections, and performs witness inspections of R2 audits. This globally dispersed team works to improve the R2 Certification program by using lessons learned from assurance activities to revise audit protocols, coach auditors, make formal complaints to CBs, build content for ongoing training and education, and in the most egregious cases, work with CBs to remove bad actors from the R2 Certification program.
The goal of the assurance program is to work toward consistency and accountability across all CBs and auditors. Where CBs make determinations about individual facilities, SERI’s work is at the program level.
SHARING LESSONS FROM INVESTIGATIONS
Through the assurance activities conducted in the first half of 2024, SERI has learned that the definition of “campus” is being appropriately applied within Certifications.
On the other hand, package reviews showed that the auditing of Brokers needs some attention. In response, SERI initiated a continuing education course to train auditors on evaluating brokering transactions and has developed a new Broker Transaction Sheet and guidance. This new method is currently being piloted and will evolve based on field experience to improve the auditing of brokers. Though intended for auditors, these resources are publicly available in the Knowledge Base.
Another lesson learned from the package reviews was that auditors had difficulty assessing the legitimacy of quality management system certifications such as ISO 9001 in various regions around the world. To address this, SERI created a guidance document to assist auditors with resources in checking the validity of the management system certificates to ensure they meet the specific R2 requirements and are not just “pay to play” certificates.
Ultimately, the value of any certification lies in its credibility. While most R2 Certified facilities are responsible refurbishers and recyclers that are meeting the requirements of the R2 Standard, there are sometimes those who cut corners to gain competitive advantages. This creates an unfair market for the industry, and is why we all have a vested interest in rooting out the bad actors.
We all hear the rumors, and SERI’s Assurance team is regularly performing oversight and is working to investigate reports of impropriety. It isn’t SERI’s style to publicly call out those organizations, but rest assured we are diligently working behind-the-scenes with the CBs to identify, correct, or get rid of bad actors. And at the same time, we celebrate all the R2 Certified facilities who are committed to contributing to a more circular and sustainable future.
