LifeSpan

R2/RIOS is the only program that can provide the trademarked designation of CERTIFIED ELECTRONICS RECYCLER®. Over time, we believe these three words will be identified closely with responsible recycling.

To become a CERTIFIED ELECTRONICS RECYCLER®, a company must implement and be certified to two standards: R2 and RIOS.

R2
Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices were developed over several years by a broad-based stakeholder group for the electronics recycling industry. Developed by the EPA, states, manufacturers, recyclers, trade groups, and NGOs, R2 is the de facto standard adopted by the industry to recognize quality, responsible recyclers. In addition to having a strong, comprehensive Environmental, Health, and Safety Management System (EHSMS) and other controls, R2 requires a recycler to:

- establish a reuse and recovery hierarchy of responsible materials
management
- comply with all legal requirements, including imports and exports
- protect worker health and safety and the environment
- manage focus materials (FMs) on site and through selected downstream
processors
- refurbish and properly test reusable equipment and components
- implement accepted data destruction procedures
- maintain security measures in all parts of the facility
- possess adequate insurance and facility closure plan

RIOS
Designed for the recycling industry, the Recycling Industry Operating Standard (RIOS)® provides a framework for a comprehensive, integrated management system that includes key operational and continual improvement elements for quality, environmental and health and safety (QEH&S) performance.

The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) has accepted RIOS® as an accredited certification program. Recycling facilities can be certified by ANAB accredited third-party auditors to verify RIOS requirements. RIOS membership benefits include the RIOS Implementation Guide, which contains the QEH&S Footprint Identification Tool and other continual improvement tools, and the RIOS Internal Auditor Training Materials.

http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_14000_essentials

The award is presented each year to a service provider that has shown innovation in making recycling more accessible to end-users, and has developed new markets for previously hard-to-recycle materials. In addition, the recipient must employ the highest standards for responsible materials handling.

The award recognizes local Omaha companies with an operating history of at least five years, positive revenue and payroll growth over the last three years, and demonstrated excellence in business practices. Lifespan was chosen because of its sales and payroll growth as well as its leadership in environmental stewardship and data privacy. Awards are presented in several categories and the recipients are selected from nominations of chamber members.

LifeSpan Technology is among the first four companies to successfully complete the new security certification program for companies that provide computer hard drive sanitization services. The certification program was developed and is managed by the non-profit industry watchdog organization the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID). The program verifies the security of the company’s facilities, chain of custody and audit trail, while a separate independent forensic testing lab verifies the effectiveness of their quality control and overwriting process. NAID already certifies over 360 member locations that provide physical destruction of media, but has only recently developed a separate certification program for companies who sanitize (overwrite) computer hard drives.

Performance Track recognizes facilities that have a strong record of environmental compliance, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal requirements, have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts, engage in community outreach, and consistently report results.

The Gold Leadership Award is bestowed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment. Criteria for the award include the following:

• The recipient must have in place a fully operational, facility-specific
Environmental Management System (EMS) with goals.

• The Company must meet the beyond-compliance requirements for the Gold
tier

• The recipient must have no serious civil violations for the past three years
or criminal violations for the past five years.

LifeSpan successfully completed the International Association of Electronics Recyclers ("IAER") certification process for its facilities in Denver, Colorado, and as a result has been designated as a Certified Electronics Recycler®. LifeSpan joins a select group of only seven other electronics recycling firms nationwide who hold this prestigious designation.

The IAER is the only organization to have developed and implemented a set of national standards that incorporate Best Management Practices for electronics recycling recommended by the EPA. In addition, companies seeking IAER certification must undergo a formal, objective examination by an accredited third-party auditor. LifeSpan was evaluated on a variety of criteria related to environmental management systems, quality programs, business performance and financial stability, employee health and safety programs, security systems, and overall operations management. The audit was performed by Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQI), a global leader in registration to international quality and environmental standards. BVQI’s team of over 2,600 auditors is recognized by 30 accreditation bodies and has issued over 70,000 certificates in more than 70 countries.