e-Stewards Certification is rapidly emerging as the leading global program designed to enable individuals and organizations who dispose of their old electronic equipment to easily identify recyclers that adhere to the highest standard of environmental responsibility and worker protection. e-Stewards Certification is open to electronics recyclers, refurbishers and processors in all developed countries.
Certified e-Stewards recyclers adhere to the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment®; written by the environmental community with leaders in the industry to protect human health and the global environment. While there are other guidelines written for the recycling industry, the e-Stewards Standard is the only e-waste standard that:
Requires a certified ISO 14001 environmental management system that builds in occupational health and safety requirements specific to the electronics recycling industry, minimizing exposure of recycling workers to hazards
Prohibits all toxic waste from being disposed of in solid waste landfills and incinerators
Requires full compliance with existing international hazardous waste treaties for exports and imports of electronics, and specifically prohibits the export of hazardous waste from developed to developing countries
Prohibits the use of prison labor in the recycling of toxic electronics, which often have sensitive data embedded
Requires extensive baseline protections for and monitoring of recycling workers in every country, including developed nations where toxic exposures are routinely taking place
The e-Stewards certification program provides a high level of confidence that a recycler consistently conforms to the e-Stewards Standard. Recyclers must be certified by accredited, independent and specially trained e-Stewards certification bodies, via rigorous, on-site audits that are performed at least once a year.
e-Stewards certification bodies are fully accredited by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB).
A high standard of consistent auditor performance is assured across the program through a rigorous, professional auditor training program covering the certification program and requirements, international law and a recycling industry primer.
In addition, BAN provides constant oversight of all levels of the program (recyclers, auditor training, certification and accreditation bodies) to ensure on-going integrity of the certifications.
Additional reasons to choose the e-Stewards program
Here are a few reasons that e-Stewards Certification is the industry’s highest assurance that e-waste is disposed of the right way:
Top-to-bottom designed to solve the e-waste problem: e-Stewards Certification provides an end-to-end accountability trail that proves e-waste recycling is performed in a manner consistent with the core objectives of data security, health and worker safety, no export of toxic materials to developing countries, no prison labor and no dumping or incineration.
Independent of industry interest groups: The e-Stewards Initiative is managed by an independent organization committed to solving the e-waste crisis. While the engagement and support of leading recycling companies and industry experts helps ensure that the Standard remains practical and economically viable, the ultimate litmus test for every aspect of the Standard is the environmental and health goals that drive the need to have a standard in the first place. The other major e-recycling standard in the United States is a much looser set of guidelines written to a large extent by the very industry that is at the core of the existing crisis.
Rigorous verification system: Both the certification and accreditation programs were built with strong controls and oversight in order to create the highest level of confidence that a service provider consistently meets the e-Stewards Standard.
As our comparisons of e-Stewards and competitive certification programs show, other standards simply do not adequately address the foundational issues of export, and environmental, worker, and data protection. Only e-Stewards Recyclers meet the highest standard and can prove it!
e-Stewards Certification Predecessor: the e-Stewards Pledge
e-Stewards Certification is formally launched, as of April 2010. Prior to this, nearly 50 recyclers were qualified as part of the e-Stewards pledge program. Committed to the same core goals of the certification program, Pledged e-Stewards Recyclers have been through a ‘desk and documentation audit,’ tracking the toxic materials from electronic waste to final disposition, and keeping toxic materials out of developing countries, prisons, and solid waste landfills and incinerators.
This training, currently provided solely by SAI Global, is a requirement for all e-Stewards auditors. This training, currently provided solely by SAI Global, is a requirement for all e-Stewards auditors.
e-Stewards Certification introduction
What is the e-Stewards Certification program?
e-Stewards Certification is rapidly emerging as the leading global program designed to enable individuals and organizations who dispose of their old electronic equipment to easily identify recyclers that adhere to the highest standard of environmental responsibility and worker protection. e-Stewards Certification is open to electronics recyclers, refurbishers and processors in all developed countries.
Certified e-Stewards recyclers adhere to the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment®; written by the environmental community with leaders in the industry to protect human health and the global environment. While there are other guidelines written for the recycling industry, the e-Stewards Standard is the only e-waste standard that:
For more details, see our FAQs on its background, FAQs on how it works, and primer on the e-Stewards Standard.
The e-Stewards certification program provides a high level of confidence that a recycler consistently conforms to the e-Stewards Standard. Recyclers must be certified by accredited, independent and specially trained e-Stewards certification bodies, via rigorous, on-site audits that are performed at least once a year.
In addition, BAN provides constant oversight of all levels of the program (recyclers, auditor training, certification and accreditation bodies) to ensure on-going integrity of the certifications.
Here is an overview of how the certification process works.
Additional reasons to choose the e-Stewards program
Here are a few reasons that e-Stewards Certification is the industry’s highest assurance that e-waste is disposed of the right way:
As our comparisons of e-Stewards and competitive certification programs show, other standards simply do not adequately address the foundational issues of export, and environmental, worker, and data protection. Only e-Stewards Recyclers meet the highest standard and can prove it!
e-Stewards Certification Predecessor: the e-Stewards Pledge
e-Stewards Certification is formally launched, as of April 2010. Prior to this, nearly 50 recyclers were qualified as part of the e-Stewards pledge program. Committed to the same core goals of the certification program, Pledged e-Stewards Recyclers have been through a ‘desk and documentation audit,’ tracking the toxic materials from electronic waste to final disposition, and keeping toxic materials out of developing countries, prisons, and solid waste landfills and incinerators.
This training, currently provided solely by SAI Global, is a requirement for all e-Stewards auditors. This training, currently provided solely by SAI Global, is a requirement for all e-Stewards auditors.