Responsible recycling
Getting R2v3 certified, step by step
What the standard requires before you can even apply, how to choose your appendices, and what the certification process actually involves. R2v3 has been the only certifiable version since R2:2013 sunset in July 2023.
- 4–6Months typical
- 10Core requirements
- 6Appendices
- 50+Clients certified
R2v3 is the current R2 Standard for responsible electronics reuse and recycling, published by SERI and approved as an ANSI American National Standard in July 2020. Certification requires an audit by a SERI-authorised certification body against ten Core Requirements plus any of six appendices matching what your facility actually does.
The thing most first-time applicants don't realise is that R2v3 sits on top of other certifications. You cannot certify to R2v3 in isolation. It requires an existing certified management system underneath it, and for some appendices, two.
The prerequisites people discover late
These are the requirements that turn a four-month project into a twelve-month one when they're found halfway through.
Core 3 — Required for everyone
A certified EH&S management system
Every R2v3 facility needs certification to an environmental, health and safety management system from SERI's accepted standards list — commonly ISO 14001 plus ISO 45001. It must be issued by a certification body accredited by an IAF MLA signatory.
Appendix C & F
A certified quality management system
Test and repair (Appendix C) and brokering (Appendix F) both require a certified QMS underneath — RIOS or ISO 9001. If either appendix applies to you, this decision belongs in your first planning conversation.
Licensing
A SERI facility licence agreement
Separate from certification, each facility needs a valid licence agreement with SERI. Failing to maintain one is among the deficiencies that must be recorded as a major nonconformity.
Internal audit
A completed internal audit of the full scope
Covering all Core Requirements and every applicable appendix, before your certification audit. Findings you leave open become the auditor's findings.
Scope
Choosing your appendices
Appendices are not optional extras you can decline. If you perform the activity, it must be audited and named on your certificate, and scope errors are the most expensive mistake available at this stage.
Appendix A
Downstream Recycling Chain
Applies if you transfer R2 Controlled Streams to a downstream vendor. Nearly everyone. Tracking can stop at the first R2v3-certified vendor, but only where the chain is registered with SERI.
Appendix B
Data Sanitization
Applies if you perform logical data sanitization — wiping devices to enable reuse. Physical destruction alone does not require it.
Appendix C
Test and Repair
Applies if you test or repair equipment for reuse. Requires a certified QMS, and equipment must be processed within a year of receipt.
Appendix D
Specialty Electronics Reuse
Medical, telecom, laboratory and other non-consumer equipment. Requires Appendix C as well.
Appendix E
Materials Recovery
Breaking down electronics and refining recovered streams. Additional risk controls and pollution liability insurance.
Appendix F
Brokering
Directing material from supplier to downstream vendor without receiving it. Applies even with no facility, and requires a certified QMS.
The process
From decision to certificate
Four to six months is typical for a single facility. Six to twelve where the operation is large, multi-site, or starting without a management system.
Scope and prerequisites
Which appendices apply, whether you need an EH&S or quality certification first, and your licence agreement with SERI.
Gap analysis
Requirement by requirement, weighted toward Focus Materials and the downstream chain where the automatic majors live.
Build and document
FM Management Plan, downstream flowchart and vendor verification, data security records, throughput tracking, EH&S system, training.
Internal audit, then certification audit
Full-scope internal audit with findings closed, then your certification body audits. Certified facilities are audited at least annually thereafter.
The standard itself is free
SERI publishes R2v3 at no cost through its document library — you agree to terms, then download it. There is no reason to buy a copy from anyone, and any consultant implying otherwise is worth questioning.
A separate facility licence agreement is still required for certification, and certification bodies must be accredited through a SERI-authorised accreditation body.
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Start here
R2 & RIOS hub The ten Core Requirements, six appendices and where audits fail. Back to the hub → -
3 minutes
R2v3 readiness quiz Score your facility against the areas that generate the most findings. Start the quiz →
Third-party verified
Listed in SERI's R2 Consultant Directory
“I completed the SERI R2v3 Auditor training course and advise facilities on R2v3 readiness.”
That's SERI's own approved wording, and we use it exactly as written. Inclusion in the directory requires completing SERI's R2 Auditor Training course and passing the exam.
SERI is explicit that the directory is not an endorsement, and neither we nor anyone else on it may claim to be “SERI-certified” or “R2 accredited.” Vet us the same way you'd vet any consultant. SERI even publishes a PDF of questions to ask.
See the directory →The previous version sunset on 1 July 2023. If you hold anything referencing R2:2013, it is no longer valid and R2v3 is the only certifiable version.
Questions
Common questions
Do we need ISO 14001 before R2v3?
You need a certified EH&S management system from SERI's accepted standards list. ISO 14001 combined with ISO 45001 is the common route, but check the current accepted list rather than assuming.
How much does R2v3 certification cost?
There are three separate costs: your SERI facility licence, your certification body's audit fees, and any consulting or implementation support. Audit fees scale with scope and number of appendices. We give you a fixed consulting fee against a written scope; the other two come from SERI and your registrar directly.
Can we leave an activity out of scope to simplify the audit?
No. If your facility performs an activity covered by an appendix, it has to be in scope and audited. Trying to exclude it is the kind of scope mismatch auditors are specifically looking for.
Is R2v3 the same as e-Stewards?
No. They are separate certification schemes for electronics recycling with different housing bodies and requirements. Some recyclers hold both. We currently work on R2v3 and RIOS.
How often are we audited after certification?
At least annually, covering all Core Requirements and applicable appendices. Some surveillance audits may be conducted remotely at the certification body's discretion.
Next step
Not sure which appendices apply to you?
Scope errors are the most expensive mistake in R2. Thirty minutes on a call usually settles it.