EPA’s Implementation Study of the Responsible Recycling ("R2") Standard for Electronics Recyclers and the e-Stewards^® Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment^© ("e-Stewards^®") recycling standards fulfills a key commitment under the 2011 National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship, which tasks the federal government to lead by example in encouraging the greener design and responsible management of used electronics. The study found that overall, the e-Stewards^® and R2 certification programs are generally being implemented well with opportunities for improvement identified in many of the topic areas assessed in the study. EPA offers suggested strategies and recommendations for improving implementation of the Standards.

Frequent Questions about the Implementation Study of the R2 & e-Stewards^® Electronics Recycling Certification Programs

• Fact Sheet: Implementation Study of the R2 & e-Stewards® Electronics Recycling Certification Programs (PDF)(4 pp, 286 K, February 2016)
• Full Report: Implementation Study of the R2 and e-Stewards® Electronics Recycling Certification Programs (PDF)(96 pp, 2 MB, February 2016, EPA-530-R-16-008)