The United States Environmental Protections Agency (USEPA), through its Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, recently released its Implementation Study of the Electronics Recycling Standards: R2 and e-Stewards. This comprehensive and well-received study was three years in the making. The study can be found on the EPA website.

The study states that “the Standards have brought better order; better management; and increased awareness of the environmental, health, and safety (EHS) risks associated with electronics recycling; and an improved awareness of regulatory requirements and best practices to the electronics recycling industry.”

The study is based on 39 interviews of key stakeholders and 9 “audit observations”. It sets forth recommendations on aspects of the implementation of the certification programs that USEPA found could be improved.

Source: The R2 Update, a publication of SERI, home of the R2 Standard, sustainableelectronics.org

More information: http://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics/implementation-study-electronics-recycling-standards-r2-and-e-stewards