Why We Certify to R2v3 and RIOS
R2v3 and RIOS are third-party certifications that hold us to audited standards for data security, downstream accountability, and safe operations.
Anyone can say they recycle electronics responsibly. Certifications are how you prove it — to an independent auditor, not just to yourself.
We hold two: R2v3, the electronics recycling standard from SERI (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International), and RIOS, the Recycling Industry Operating Standard. Both are earned through third-party audits, and both have to be maintained year after year. Here’s what each one covers, and why the pair matters.
R2v3: the electronics-specific standard
R2v3 is built for exactly what we do — handling used electronics. It sets requirements across the areas that matter most to our customers:
- Data security. Devices must be sanitized to recognized standards before reuse or recycling, with documented processes and verification.
- Downstream accountability. We have to vet the vendors who receive material from us, track where it goes, and confirm it’s handled responsibly. The chain of custody doesn’t end at our gate.
- Environmental protection. Hazardous materials must be managed so they don’t end up in a landfill or get shipped off irresponsibly.
- Worker health and safety. The people processing your equipment work under audited safety practices.
R2v3’s emphasis on reuse over recycling is also why we refurbish working equipment whenever we safely can.
RIOS: the management system behind it
If R2v3 says what to do with electronics, RIOS is about how a recycling company runs. RIOS — developed by the recycling industry itself — is an integrated management system covering quality, environmental performance, and occupational health and safety.
In plain terms, it’s the discipline of documenting your processes, training your people, measuring results, and continually improving — then having an outside party audit all of it. It folds what would otherwise be three separate management systems into one built specifically for recyclers.
The pairing isn’t accidental. R2v3 requires certified facilities to operate under an environmental, health and safety management system — and refurbishers need a quality management system too. RIOS satisfies those requirements, and the two programs were designed to work together, with a streamlined path for companies pursuing both.
What this means for you
When you hand us your old equipment, you’re trusting us with your data, your compliance obligations, and your company’s reputation. These certifications mean that trust gets verified — not by us, but by independent auditors. Ours are carried out by Perry Johnson Registrars under ANAB accreditation.
It means your drives are wiped to NIST 800-88 before anything is reused. It means the vendors downstream of us are vetted. It means our facility operates under audited environmental, health, and safety practices. And it means all of that gets re-checked on a regular cycle, not just claimed once.
Certification isn’t the cheapest way to run a recycling company. It’s the way that lets our customers — businesses, schools, and government agencies across Idaho and eastern Oregon — prove to their own auditors that their equipment was handled right. Schedule a free pickup or see what we accept to get started.
