e-Stewards Certified Recycler
Cascade was one of the first companies to receive the title Certified e-Stewards Recycler. The rigorous audit meticulously examines every facet of our activities, from operations to personnel, guaranteeing adherence to the strict standard. The primary objectives of the e-Stewards standard are to prevent the overseas export of hazardous e-waste, prioritize the health and safety of workers, and safeguard customer data.
WHAT IS THE E-STEWARDS CERTIFICATION PROGRAM?
e-Stewards Certification has emerged 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. This program was developed under the leadership of the Basel Action Network (BAN), the non-profit organization that first exposed the horrors of the dumping of electronic waste in developing countries. A 2023 story presented by CBS Morning News is a recent example of e-waste’s tragic costs. Watching heart-breaking footage of people in Ghana, including children, sifting through e-waste is a reminder of why all of us need to do the right thing concerning using, disposing, and recycling electronics.
Recyclers who are certified by this program must 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 requires more stringent standards.
UNIQUE E-STEWARDS REQUIREMENTS
- Requires that batteries be tested and meet minimum performance and condition requirements
- Specifies air quality and noise testing standards to better protect worker health and safety
- Requires data security protocols to be put in place for reusable and destroyed media
- 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
- Demands the development and implementation of a robust data security program to ensure information is properly destroyed through electronic or physical means
- Requires extensive baseline protections for and monitoring of recycling workers in every country, including developed nations where toxic exposures are routinely taking place
Review the differences between e-Stewards and R2 standards here.
CERTIFICATION STANDARDS
The e-Stewards certification program provides a high level of confidence that a recycler consistently conforms to their standards. 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.
- The program conducts unannounced performance verification audits of certified recyclers throughout the year.
- e-Stewards certification bodies are fully accredited by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB).
- The program assures consistent audits through its rigorous, professional auditor training program. It not only covers the certification requirements but also 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 the certifications maintain their integrity.
5 REASONS TO PARTNER WITH AN E-STEWARDS RECYCLER
e-Stewards Certification helps organizations do the right thing for the environment and their bottom line.
- Secure Your Data: Certified recyclers’ end-to-end security processes and procedures are regularly audited
- Demonstrate Sustainability: Certified recyclers must follow a waste management hierarchy where reuse is maximized, unusable items are responsibly recycled, and exporting hazardous materials is forbidden
- Protect Against Risk: The standard seeks to protect your organization from data breaches, legal non-compliance, and harm to the environment and human health
- Support Your Brand: Avoid risks, negative media attention, and damage to your brand by working with a certified recycler that implements secure data destruction methods and follows strict environmental protection standards
- Reduce Costs: Rigorous e-Stewards auditing can reduce your vendor management burden by reducing the need for on-site audits and other due diligence tasks
- One-Stop Responsibility: e-Stewards standards are designed to cover legal requirements and social concerns
WIDE SUPPORT FOR E-STEWARDS CERTIFICATION
The e-Stewards program is recognized widely by government agencies, private enterprises, and environmental organizations as the best means of vetting electronics recyclers.
The accredited, third-party audited certification program has not only been endorsed by Greenpeace USA, the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Electronics TakeBack Coalition and 68 other environmental organizations, but has also drawn the support of major corporate “e-Stewards Enterprises” including:
- Bank of America
- Bloomberg
- Boeing
- Capital One Financial Corp.
- LG
- Mitsubishi Electric
- Nestle
- Premier, Inc.
- Samsung
- Sony
- Staples
- Wells Fargo
- And more
“Samsung is honored to be the first electronics manufacturer recognized with the e-Stewards standard for rigorous recycling and e-waste materials management. This is a major validation of our efforts as we have responsibly recycled more than 20 million pounds of e-waste since the beginning of our Samsung Recycling Direct program in 2008, and plan to continue strengthening our commitment and leadership in this industry.”
“The e-Stewards Enterprise program makes it easy for us to demonstrate that our electronic waste management standards are responsible and align with best practices. By using e-Stewards Recyclers, we know that our old computers and other electronics aren’t going to be disposed of in a way that harms people or the environment and that, when possible, electronic components are recycled and reused.”
ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
In addition to e-Stewards, Cascade has NAID AAA Certification and is both ISO 9001 and 14001 certified. We also conform to NIST 800-88 Guidelines for Media Sanitization. Lastly, we became the first private, for-profit computer refurbisher accepted into the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) program.