About Seri

AT SERI, WE ARE COMMITTED TO SERVE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE

solving the world’s electronics sustainability problem is going to take committed individuals, businesses, policymakers, and institutions All working together.

SERI’s role is to bring all those disparate parts together to bring about real change.

We are a unique organization. SERI is the only multi-stakeholder, collaborative nonprofit organization in the world focused exclusively on minimizing the environmental and health risks posed by used and end-of-life electronics, while also maximizing the social and economic value presented by this equipment.

We want everyone to think about electronics differently, to act more responsibly, and to make decisions with our electronics using sustainability as our guiding North Star. Because when we do, we’ll protect people and the environment, while making sure our electronics do a world of good.

At a glance

  • 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
  • ANSI Accredited Standards Development Organization

While SERI is best known as the housing body and ANSI-accredited Standards Development Organization for the R2 Standard, our reach continues to grow as we find new opportunities to make a positive impact for everyone, everywhere around the world.

SERI’s Mission

SERI works to create a world where electronic products are reused and recycled in a way that results in resource preservation, the well-being of the environment, and the health and safety of workers and communities.
tablet recycling bin resized
man repairing computer resized
girls laptop resized

HOW WE VIEW THE ELECTRONICS CHALLENGE

The sheer volume of used and end-of-life electronics (we sometimes use “e-scrap” as shorthand) is so immense – and growing at exponential rates in many parts of the world.

As the Internet of Things (IOT) continues to expand and proliferate, our electronics sustainability challenge continues to grow as well. Beyond what has traditionally been considered “electronics,” we now have to think about things like smart refrigerators, photovoltaic cells, our cars, and even our toothbrushes and doorbells.

While we have to deal with our present e-waste problem through responsible reuse and recycling, if we only focus on managing waste, we will constantly be reacting to new technology and whatever hazards are created as a result. Yes, we have to continue to sustainably manage the e-waste we create today, but we cannot be fixated on recycling and upcycling things out of the waste pile. To get to zero e-waste and electronics sustainability, we need to be focused on preventing waste in the first place. And that requires thinking about all the decisions of design, manufacturing, use, repair, reuse, and recycling to eradicate e-waste throughout the entirety of the lifecycle.

Complicating matters is the critical role used electronics can play in “bridging the digital divide.” Affordable electronics are essential to individuals, communities, and organizations in developing countries and economically challenged areas as they strive to raise their standard of living. For many, used electronics provide the means to engage in today’s economy, access a broader range of healthcare, improve educational opportunities, etc. Recognizing the environmental, economic, and social benefits of reuse, the R2 Standard was written in a way that allows for more opportunities to extend the useful life of electronic devices.

Why SERI?

What does it mean to say SERI is a “multi-stakeholder, collaborative nonprofit organization?”

SERI’s Board of Directors and its R2 Technical Advisory Committee comprise diverse groups of individuals representing recyclers, customers of recyclers, government, purchasing officials, nonprofit organizations, certification bodies, OEMs, and others. This enables SERI to understand and incorporate the political, sociological, and economic dimensions – not just the environmental and technical – into the solutions it helps craft.

SERI has the expertise to administer the R2 Certification Program with help from a widely diverse and experienced Board. SERI is keenly familiar with the multi-dimensional challenges relating to refurbishing and final disposition of electronics, including those that confront many developing countries and regions of the world.

Though SERI’s focus primarily lies within the used portion of the electronics lifecycle, we realize that it takes responsible decision making and forward planning at every point in the lifecycle to achieve our goals. Since sustainability cannot start at a device’s end of life, we’ll pursue opportunities to make a positive difference all throughout the electronics lifecycle.

While SERI is currently best known as the housing body and ANSI-accredited Standards Development Organization for the R2 Standard, our reach continues to grow as we find new opportunities to make a positive impact for everyone, everywhere around the globe.

OUR MEMBERSHIPS