Dive summary:

• The organization that oversees R2 electronics recycling certification, R2 Solutions, has announced they will begin charging companies an annual fee to continue being certified.
• While R2 officials say they have reservations on how the new policy will effect smaller recyclers, they say they don’t know what else to do.
• The fee, $1,500 per facility, will pay for the annual surveillance audit for each facility as well as other procedures R2 Solutions wouldn’t have the money to do otherwise.

From the article:

"We had a really difficult time with the decision and recognize it will impose a burden on some of the very small recyclers," said John Lingelbach, executive director of the organization. "We just don't know what else to do."

The fee will be $1,500 per facility that is certified and will be connected to the annual surveillance audit done at each facility.

According to R2 Solutions' website, there are currently 383 facilities around the world that have a R2 certification. That would put the total income from the fees well over $500,000. ...