Among The Best

Identifying best practices in electronics recycling is not an easy task. Our industry maintains a diverse membership of organizations all working and competing in the e-scrap, asset management, data security, recycling and refurbishing business. Clearly our business models and values differ greatly from organization to organization. Our company goals, areas of expertise and customers may be very different as well.

Yet as different as we are, most organizations seek to develop ways to evaluate and improve their operating performance. Committing to self-evaluation through the use of management systems and conducting internal audits of those systems is the most objective and focused approach to evaluating a company’s performance. A formal management system forces an organization to look not only at its long-term goals for improvement, but also at where the company is today. A third-party certification program requires organizations to keep established goals a priority. It provides a map to follow to achieve consistent and improved daily performance, while measuring progress toward long-term goals.

Everything starts with an internal team, though an objective and trained outside auditor provides insight on hang-ups and limitations a firm may not see when it evaluates itself. The auditor also provides suggestions for improvement that give another perspective, one with no built-in excuses for slippage or failure.

Best management practices start with a critical look at a firm’s internal operations and practices. There is an assumption that all companies understand the laws that they must operate within and the permits that they must obtain as basic requirements of doing business. This may be true of the owner and perhaps a manager, but what has been put in place to ensure that as the company grows and employs new team members these employees also understand their legal obligations? Companies are expected to develop a mission statement and to have a documented environmental policy; however, large and small companies can be lacking in some of the most basic foundations that provide direction for the entire organization.

Some firms operating in a green industry like recycling start with their environmental management system (EMS) and pursue ISO 14001 certification. Others in the industry may start with a third-party audited certification of their data security programs, like the certifications offered by the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID), Phoenix. Because most electronics recyclers are small to medium-sized businesses, the idea of embarking on formal third-party certification programs like ISO 14001 and NAID’s AAA Certification may seem overwhelming and expensive, and perhaps reliant on internal resources and expertise that do not appear readily available.

Many small businesses may leave third-party certifications and formal management systems for the "big guys." I would argue that this will keep small companies small and unable to compete on the same field as their larger counterparts. Many small businesses also assume the larger players in the industry are better organized or have a leg up on formalizing procedures and measuring their performance. The case may be that the bigger players in the game may just have a bigger, more unorganized and stratified operation that is much harder to get into shape than those with smaller operations.

When a company embarks on a journey that is meant to thoroughly examine its operations with a goal to improve systems and become better, the support and participation of management is critical to the success of the program. Although management has to be on board for change to be encouraged and implemented, people in the organization must feel empowered to get the job done. Champions will emerge to take the lead. These internal leaders may be managers, line workers, EH&S committee members and administrative staff. A point person will emerge to drive team progress.

Having a third-party audited certification program keeps the plans and goals of that system on the front burner. It can be easy to let some things slip, as priorities are realigned and competing needs of the organization drive decision making and budgets. Managers may be inclined to make statements about wanting to do something, but in light of limitations in funds, personnel and time, the necessary procedures, training and team meetings are put on the back burner.

Third-party audited certifications help organizations to formalize procedures designed to improve systems throughout the operation.

Having gone through the process of ISO 14001 and NAID certifications, we see a consistency and commitment that would not be possible without these management systems. We are better prepared for audits from customers and regulating agencies. Our team, from our facility employees who operate our equipment, to our managers, administrative staff and executives, operates more consistently. Together, we evaluate and measure our daily performance while also staying on track for reaching monthly, quarterly and long-term goals. Our programs and procedures are tested, and our personnel are not only trained, but must demonstrate competency in operating in accordance with our procedures. Our plans are well thought out, reviewed regularly and modified as needed. Without this concerted effort across our organization, we could not operate as consistently.

WeRecycle! has participated in a group of stakeholders to create a third-party audited certification program geared specifically for the electronics recycling industry (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Responsible Recycling Practices for Use in Accredited Certification Programs). With the standards development stage complete, a small group has moved to the next phase of implementation. The Basil Action Network (BAN), Seattle, and the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, San Francisco, also have begun work on a third-party certification program for e-stewards that is designed to require recyclers to demonstrate the highest environmental and ethical recycling standards in the industry.

Soon, both of these programs will be available, providing another opportunity for responsible recyclers to demonstrate their performance. These certifications also will provide the market with a better, more transparent way to select recyclers that demonstrate adherence to best management practices in our industry.