New E-World Online Audits Validate Electronics Recycling Facilities' Downstream Diligence

VISTA, Calif., April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- E-World Online, a national provider of responsible recycling solutions for consumer electronics manufacturers, has launched an audit program to ensure that its network of electronics recyclers meets the highest standards of environmental health and safety compliance in states where e-waste collection is regulated.

E-World Online administers the e-waste recycling programs of several leading manufacturers including Sony Electronics Inc., Acer America Corp. and ViewSonic. Its proprietary, web-based Manufacturer Interstate Take-Back System (MITS) uses a network of collection points and recyclers across the country to make e-waste recycling easy for consumers while fulfilling the manufacturers' responsibilities.

E-World Online launched its audit service Mar. 22 and plans to share the results with its manufacturer partners when the audits are completed in the next 90 days. Additionally, E-World Online's manufacturer partners will be able to access copies of the audits anytime through MITS.

Although all members of E-World Online's network of recyclers are certified through one or more of the leading industry certification programs, the audits are an additional quality control step to make it easier for manufacturers to validate their downstream due diligence.

In 23 of 24 states that have passed legislation mandating statewide e-waste recycling, manufacturer responsibility laws dictate that manufacturers – not the consumer or government – take responsibility for the environmentally-safe management of the products they create. E-World Online has strict source documentation requirements for all e-waste collected through MITS and monitors downstream responsibility on behalf of its manufacturer partners.

"By monitoring the practices of electronics recyclers for our OEM clients, we are able to verify appropriate handling of material at the recycling facilities in the MITS network," said E-World Online President Cindy Erie. "The audits save our OEM clients time and money, but more importantly, they provide transparency."

The audits will be conducted by third-party experts from Greeneye Partners LLC, a consultancy specializing in environmental health and safety audits to ensure electronics recycling facilities meet the requirements of the two leading certification programs in the U.S. The Responsible Recycling (R2) guidelines, available through R2 Solutions, were developed in a multi-stakeholder process facilitated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the e-Stewards standard was developed by the Basel Action Network. Greeneye Partners is comprised of Kelley Keogh, Nicole Delich and Bob Delich who together have over 60 years experience in the solid waste, hazardous waste, recycling and composting industries.

The audits will include but not be limited to environmental health and safety compliance, permit reviews, reviews of inbound and outbound tracking documents, and reviews of refurb/re-use and export compliance.

For more on E-World Online and MITS, visit www.e-worldonline.com.

About E-World Online and its Manufacturer Interstate Take-back System (MITS)

E-World Online administers comprehensive e-waste take-back programs across the country for leading consumer electronics manufacturers. The Manufacturer Interstate Take-back System (MITS) network, comprised of R2- and e-Steward-certified recyclers, will collect an estimated 42 million pounds of e-waste for some of the world's leading consumer electronics manufacturers in 2011. MITS is able to offer services in nearly all 50 states and provides manufacturers with a solution to monitor collection progress in real-time and guides consumers with information about local e-waste recycling options in their communities. E-waste accounts for 2-5% of municipal solid waste streams, and according to the EPA, only 18% of e-waste is recycled. E-World Online is a division of E-World Recyclers of Vista, Calif. For more, see www.e-worldonline.com or call (877) 342-6756.  

SOURCE E-World Online