New Sanctioned Interpretations adopted 

The e-Stewards Standard Committee has finalized the publication of the latest set of Sanctioned Interpretations (SI), integrating the feedback received from the public comment period that ended May 1st. Earlier this week, an announcement was sent to all e-Stewards members, Certifying Bodies, and ANAB with a link to the Sanctioned Interpretations. These SIs replace, update, or clarify existing e-Stewards Standard requirements and are binding upon all CBs, ANAB, and all e-Stewards Organizations at all stages, effective 30 days from publication. 

The Sanctioned Interpretations are available on the website and can be found here. 

e-Stewards looks forward to upcoming conferences

The e-Stewards team is excited to announce our participation in several upcoming events. We will be attending the ITAD Summit in Miami on July 23-24, the e-Scrap Conference in Orlando from September 30 to October 2, and the Electronics Sustainability Summit in Austin, Texas, from October 22 to 24.

At the e-Scrap Conference and the Electronics Sustainability Summit, we will hold educational workshops to help attendees better understand and implement the e-Stewards Standard. If you plan to attend and would like to meet with our team, please reach out to us at (info@e-stewards.org) or connect with us through the conference apps. We look forward to engaging with you and participating in these exciting industry events.

Leadership Council Spotlight

e-Stewards wishes to highlight our illustrious Leadership Council members. Ken Thomas is the President of Universal Recycling Technologies (URT). As an integrated universal waste processor and original e-Stewards Pledge signee, URT strives to provide practical solutions to meet the needs of their OEM, business, and government agency partners. Ken has over 20 years of experience in the manufacturing and recycling environments as a senior-level manager in operations, materials management, and accounting.

e-Stewards welcomes new Administrative Assistant

e-Stewards would like to introduce you to our newest team member, Dan Kasem, who has joined us as our Administrative Assistant. In this role for e-Stewards, he will be helping with day-to-day operations, including license agreement renewals, customer inquiries, and general support for our e-Stewards team. Dan started his career as a programmer in market research. Feeling burnt out, he took a trip to the Cascade mountains to clear his mind, where he decided there might be more to life than what he'd been viewing on his screens. Dan has found more meaningful work here at e-Stewards, where he enjoys being of service to the cause and learning all the gritty details that add up to making a difference.

50% Discount for new e-Stewards

e-Stewards is continuing to offer a 50% discount for all new companies on their first-year license and marketing fees. This offer is available to processors that have never been e-Stewards Certified. 

If you are interested in e-Stewards certification, please reach out to us at info@e-stewards.org or schedule an introductory call through our website. We look forward to hearing from you! 

BAN warns of an increase in illegal e-waste exports 

The Basel Action Network (BAN) has raised the alarm over what appears to be another wave of illegal e-waste trafficking that is now finding its way to Southeast Asia, and in particular to Malaysia. Investigations reveal e-waste shipments primarily departing from the Port of Los Angeles. In March, three raids in Malaysia uncovered clandestine e-waste operations with workers, including underage and illegal immigrants, found in dire conditions. BAN emphasizes Malaysia's increasing attractiveness as a destination for e-waste due to stricter regulations elsewhere, echoing the "whack-a-mole" pattern seen after crackdowns in China and Hong Kong following earlier BAN industry investigations using GPS tracking devices. BAN warnings in March, have so far led Malaysian authorities to search and seize 29 imported containers filled with illegal imports of e-waste, which will be ordered to be returned "to their countries of origin". Another government raid led to the arrests of 33 foreign nationals working illegally in an e-waste factory with evidence of human trafficking. The Global e-Waste Monitor 2024 underscores the severity of the e-waste crisis, with 62 million metric tonnes generated globally in 2022. BAN calls for electronics manufacturers to design products with longevity and sustainability in mind, advocating for comprehensive responsibility for product lifecycles. They remind also that US actors cannot legally trade hazardous e-waste with any Asian countries nor employ brokers to do so. Such exports are an affront to environmental justice, ESG goals, international law and place participating parties including themselves at high risk.   

State updates on right-to-repair, e-scrap, battery stewardship

In Oregon, the Right to Repair Act has been signed into law, making it the fourth state to enact such a bill for consumer electronics. The bill would be the first to address the practice of “parts pairing,” which limits parts to be used by specific devices, both increasing the cost of repairs and not allowing the harvesting of functional parts from other devices for repair. 

A similar bill in Colorado has now been sent to the Governor for signature.  Also including a ban on parts pairing, this bill would add to the state’s current right-to-repair law that applies to wheelchairs and farm equipment. 

A bill is being considered to update Minnesota’s electronics waste law to include 100% of electronic waste and make recycling electronics free for all Minnesotans by adding a retail fee on most electronic items when they are sold.  

Next door in Wisconsin, the state’s e-scrap recycling program, E-Cycle Wisconsin, has been updated and will include adjustments to manufacturer recycling targets based on market share, an expansion on covered devices to include peripherals, and an increase on registration fees starting in 2025. 

In California, CalRecycle has proposed increases to payments to processors for recovery and CRT recycling while maintaining current rates for non-CRT material, based on average net costs, aiming to support the state's e-scrap recycling efforts. 

In Vermont, a new bill awaits the governor’s signature that would broaden the state's stewardship program to cover rechargeable batteries and related products, mandate packaging compliance, set up collection facilities, and initiate a needs assessment for managing specific batteries by July 1, 2026. 

e-Stewards Standard Tip

Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan: All e-Stewards Organizations must create, document, and maintain an Emergency Preparedness and Response plan that includes the necessary process(es) to prevent, respond to, and mitigate the results of potential and actual emergencies. A plan shall be created for each potential and actual emergency that could occur in consideration of the Organization’s risks and obligations, and should identify the appropriate training, documentation, and communication needed. 

The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan is one of three required documents that must be an individual document and must be made available to visitors and contractors, as appropriate. 

Additionally, an Organization must identify which of their listed potential emergencies are relevant or likely to occur, and at which location(s), and conduct all relevant emergency drills on an appropriate and regular basis, but at least annually. 

As an example, an Organization that performs dismantling operations and is located in the Midwest should likely include plans to respond to severe weather, battery fires, building fires, power outages, and active shooters/intruders, at a minimum. An emergency response plan for earthquakes or tsunamis, in this case, would not be relevant or helpful. 

Drills should be conducted physically and emulate the real emergencies they are based on as closely as practicable. They should also include all employees who can or would be affected by the actual emergency. It is also helpful to share relevant Emergency Preparedness and Response plans with local jurisdictions including, but not limited to, city/township/village management, police/law enforcement, fire departments, or local/state environmental agencies. Including these entities in your organization’s emergency planning ensures their response, if necessary, is prompt and they are knowledgeable about your organization’s operations to ensure proper protections for first responders.

For any further questions on the e-Stewards Standard, please contact Selena Turnock, Certification Director, at selena@e-Stewards.org.

e-Stewards at IAITAM 2024

Our team had a fantastic experience at the 2024 IAITAM Conference in Las Vegas. Representing e-Stewards, Jim and Daniel Puckett connected with our e-Stewards Certified processors, IT asset managers, and stakeholders from every segment of the electronics lifecycle and supply chain. From the highly educational sessions to the hallway conversations, it was a great experience for our team.

Panel discussion at the IAITAM Conference in Las Vegas. (Photo credit: Daniel Puckett) 

A highlight of the conference was Jim Puckett, participating in a panel discussion alongside Grant Hoffman of HP, Russ Ernst of Blancco, and Kevin Dillon of ERI. The discussion flowed touching on many aspects of the ITAD industry, sustainability, and ESG and was capped off by a fantastic question and answer session with the audience. 

Featured Videos

Electronic waste growing at record levels, U.N. report finds – by CBS News 

About e-Stewards:

The e-Stewards® Initiative is a market-based solution to help individuals and organizations identify and promote electronics recyclers who ensure that used electronics are managed with the highest environmental and social responsibility standards. e-Stewards Certified Recyclers and Refurbishers are audited and certified to ensure the highest levels of responsibility. e-Stewards Enterprises are major corporations, municipalities, nonprofits, or institutions that agree to make their best efforts to use e-Stewards Certified Recyclers. e-Stewards is a program established by the environmental advocacy organization Basel Action Network. See e-Stewards Video.

Do you have news, photos, or videos about your company? We welcome submissions and invite you to share ideas with info@e-stewards.org. Thank you for reading!