R2 Solutions Clarifies CRT Glass Usage Rules
The R2 Solutions board of directors voted unanimously to clarify that R2:2013 prohibits the use of CRT glass that no longer is considered a focus material (FM) as alternative daily cover at landfills.
“This formal clarification by the board is a win for the environment,” states Clare Lindsay, a member of the R2 Solutions board and formerly of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Solid Waste, “the CRT crisis must be dealt with effectively and expeditiously, but not through the use of less-than-optimal environmental solutions.”
The vote by the board of directors is in line with the recommendation of the R2 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
R2:2013’s Provision 2(a)(3) states that electronics recyclers shall not direct materials to “land disposal facilities unless no reuse or recycling options are viable.” The R2 TAC and the board agreed that recycling options are viable for non-FM CRT glass and that alternative daily cover does not constitute a form of reuse or recycling under the Standard (but rather a form of land disposal).
“CRT glass is such a contentious issue. And some people suggest that with an issue like this, real consensus-based, multi-stakeholder decision-making cannot adequately protect the environment,” said John Lingelbach, executive director of R2 Solutions. “Not true. Voluntary industry standards should be developed through multi-stakeholder processes; it’s that simple. This decision on CRT glass supports this widely-held principle.”
*For more information go http://americanrecycler.com