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NSF 426 TG 12
Responsible End-of-Service/End-of-Life Management
TG 12 status summary: For the November JC meeting, the TG has 4 recommendations for JC
consideration:
1) Modification to JC approved criterion 12.1.1 on product take-back service
2) Recommendation for new criterion 12.1.3 on trans-boundary movement
3) Recommendation for new criterion 12.2.1 on treatment and final disposition of substances of
concern
4) Recommendation for new criterion 12.2.2 on publically available record of the
reusability/recyclability achievement
Points
Criterion Number and Title
Status*
Reference
(for optional
Document(s) (if
criteria only)
applicable)
Prerequisite Criteria
JC approved
12.1.1 Product Take-Back Service
(June 2014 straw ballot)
N/A
(Corporate)
None
TG recommendation for
modification
12.1.2 End-of-Service / End-ofLife Management
N/A
JC approved
(October 2014 straw ballot)
None
12.1.3 Trans Boundary
Movement
N/A
TG Recommendation
None
Optional Criteria
12.2.1 Treatment and Final
Disposition of Substances of
Concern
TG Recommendation
12.2.2 Publically available record
of the reusability/recyclability
achievement
TG Recommendation
© 2014 NSF International
None
None
This document is part of the NSF International standard development process. This document is subject to change and may be a draft and/or
non-final version. Committee members may request permission to reproduce, quote from, and/or circulate this document to persons or
entities outside of their organization after first receiving written permission from NSF International. Send written requests to NSF
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12
Responsible End-of-Service/End-of-Life Management
12.1 Prerequisites
12.1.1 Product Take-back Service (Corporate) (JC Straw Balloted June 2014) TG Recommendation
Manufacturer shall ensure provision provide of, either directly or through a third party, a country-wide
or region-wide take-back service to collect and process registered and formerly registered products for
re-use and/,or end-of-life management. Manufacturer shall also offer, either directly or through a thirdparty, a country-wide or region-wide take-back service to collect and process de-installed, nonregistered products, including products from other manufacturers, for re‐use and, or end‐of‐life
management when new, equivalent registered products are sold. Manufacturer shall offer this the takeback service option either directly or through its distribution channels distributors to the first customer;
the customer may choose to utilize this the take-back service option or not.
The service shall incorporate a management hierarchy to promote the extended and best possible use of
the equipment and components, in a manner that is protective of human health and the environment,
as follows:
1. Re-use of whole equipment;
2. Re-use of components;
3. Recycling for material recovery;
4. Disposal of materials in energy recovery facilities and/or solid and hazardous landfill facilities
permitted in accordance with applicable legislation.
Notification of the take-back service, including how to utilize the service(s), shall be available in sales
information and product documentation, including website-based sales information and user manuals in
formats provided to customers (e.g., website, compact disc, hard copy) at the time of purchase/lease.
The information shall be maintained and updated on the manufacturer’s website.
Manufacturer shall disclose both at the point of sale and the point of the take-back service if there will
be any direct costs to the purchaser / lessee for the take-back service.
To demonstrate compliance conformance with this criterion, the manufacturer shall obtain and
maintain objective evidence:

Of the manufacturers’ conformity with this criterion throughout the sales chain distribution
channel to the first customer

That the manufacturer offers the take-back service defined in this criterion for:
 Customers in the country or region where the product is registered; and
 All types of selling technique (e.g. distance-selling or through distribution network)

That the manufacturer notifies the purchaser/lessee of the availability of take-back services,
that includes how to utilize the take-back service

Of the manufacturers’ compliance with national legislation/legal requirements and to confirm
that compliant and environmentally sound management has been employed (to the criterion in
12.1.2) for the collection, transportation and processing (re-use, refurbishment or recycling, as
applicable) and disposal of all products registered and returned under this criterion.
© 2014 NSF International
This document is part of the NSF International standard development process. This document is subject to change and may be a draft and/or
non-final version. Committee members may request permission to reproduce, quote from, and/or circulate this document to persons or
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In jurisdictions where there are existing laws and / or regulations specifically to collect, re-use and / or
recycle registered and formerly registered products, manufacturer’s demonstration of compliance with
these legal requirements will fulfill this requirement.
This criterion is applicable only in countries or regions for which the product is declared to conform to
this standard.
12.1.2 End of Service/End of Life Management (Corporate) (JC Straw Balloted June 2014)
In jurisdictions where manufacturer can control the selection of the initial re-use or treatment operator,
manufacturer shall ensure that all equipment and, or components (including lease returns, warranty
returns, trade-ins) forming the whole or part of the product covered by criterion 12.1.1 are prepared for
re-use and / or initially treated at a re-use or treatment facility, which is independently certified by an
accredited certification body to one or more of the following recognized standards: The Responsible
Recycling (“R2”) Standard for Electronics Recyclers, the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling
and Reuse of Electronic Equipment, the WEEELABEX Treatment Standard, or the CENELEC - EN 50625
‘Collection, logistics & Treatment requirements for WEEE’. Certification bodies shall be accredited by an
International Accreditation Forum member accreditation body (http://www.iaf.nu/) to certify to the
specific standard identified.
The NSF Joint Committee on the Environmental Leadership Standard for Servers may add standards to
the above list of recognized standards, provided the standard meets requirements a) through i) in
criterion 4.6.1.2 of the IEEE 1680.2-2012 Standard for the Environmental Assessment of Imaging
Equipment.
These requirements apply to any products returned under 12.1.1 to any facility/operator whether
owned by the manufacturer or an agent acting on behalf of the manufacturer.
To demonstrate conformance with this criterion, manufacturer shall provide valid certificates held by
initial re-use or treatment facilities utilized at the time of product registration, and on an on-going basis
(whether facilities are owned by manufacturer or an agent of manufacturer.)
This requirement is applicable only in countries or regions for which the product is declared to conform
to this standard.
12.1.3 Trans-boundary Movements (Corporate) TG Recommendation
If equipment and components collected pursuant to criteria 12.1.1 and 12.1.2 and materials derived
from them are traded across national boundaries anywhere from the point of manufacturer take-back
to the point of final disposition of the resulting devices and or materials, manufacturer shall have an inhouse management system which incorporates the elements necessary to achieve ongoing compliance
with applicable trade laws1 in all countries involved (export, transit, and import). Such a management
system must be independently certified to a globally accepted management system standard, such as
ISO 14001 or ISO 9001, by a certification body accredited by an IAF-member accreditation body to
certify to the specified management system standard.
1
This typically pertains to materials determined to be hazardous or otherwise restricted by any of the countries
involved in international trade, based on domestic laws implementing international treaties such as the Basel
Convention and the OECD Council Decisions, and may apply to materials being shipped between countries for the
purposes of recycling, repair, disposal, and direct reuse.
© 2014 NSF International
This document is part of the NSF International standard development process. This document is subject to change and may be a draft and/or
non-final version. Committee members may request permission to reproduce, quote from, and/or circulate this document to persons or
entities outside of their organization after first receiving written permission from NSF International. Send written requests to NSF
International that include notice of to whom and for what purpose this document is to be shared.
To assure conformity to this criterion, manufacturer shall provide objective evidence of both:

A current and valid certificate to a globally-accepted management system standard, and

Inclusion of applicable trade laws in the manufacturer’s management system relative to
exporting, transiting, and importing countries; i.e., if a manufacturer or its service providers ship
any of these materials across borders, the manufacturer’s management system (including ‘legal
and other requirements’, ‘operational control’, ‘internal audit’, ‘corrective action plans’, and
‘management review’) must actively address applicable laws in all countries involved in the
trade.
12.2 End of Life Management (Optional)
12.2.1 Treatment and Final Disposition of Substances of Concern TG Recommendation
a) Manufacturer shall demonstrate that materials of concern in or derived from products and
components pursuant to 12.1.1 are disposed of in licensed and permitted hazardous waste
treatment and disposal facilities. (1 point)
b) Manufacturer shall demonstrate that halogenated materials contained in, derived from, or
comprised of products and components pursuant to 12.1.1 are not treated or disposed of using
processes that generate halogenated dioxins and furans, such as most thermal processes,
regardless of facility capture rate of dioxins and furans.
(1 point)
Manufacturer may claim both a) and b) for a total of 2 points.
12.2.2 Publically Available Record of the Re-use / Recycling Achievement TG Recommendation
Manufacturer shall make publically available on their web site the annual re-use and recycling and
recovery achievements (as a percentage of their annual total mass returned) of the take-back service for
each country into which the product is registered. This criterion applies only to equipment taken back
under criteria 12.1.1. Equipment recovered and processed under national or regional collection schemes
(mandated programs) may be included if the data is made available to the manufacturer.
Determination of the re-use and recycling and recovery achievements shall start with the receipt of the
equipment or components through the take-back service and end:

when the equipment has been prepared for re-use by a certified re-use operator

when the end-of-waste status for output fractions is achieved, or;

when output fractions have been dispatched to a waste to energy facility ; or

when output fractions have been dispatched to a landfill facility for disposal.
The calculation of the recovery and recycling achievements shall include each of the following
quantities, as relevant:
•
equipment and components that have been prepared for re-use;
•
fractions destined for recycling;
•
fractions destined for energy recovery; and
© 2014 NSF International
This document is part of the NSF International standard development process. This document is subject to change and may be a draft and/or
non-final version. Committee members may request permission to reproduce, quote from, and/or circulate this document to persons or
entities outside of their organization after first receiving written permission from NSF International. Send written requests to NSF
International that include notice of to whom and for what purpose this document is to be shared.
•
fractions destined for disposal by the certified treatment operator and all downstream
operators.
Figure x: Flow chart showing separate parts of the re-use and treatment process
© 2014 NSF International
This document is part of the NSF International standard development process. This document is subject to change and may be a draft and/or
non-final version. Committee members may request permission to reproduce, quote from, and/or circulate this document to persons or
entities outside of their organization after first receiving written permission from NSF International. Send written requests to NSF
International that include notice of to whom and for what purpose this document is to be shared.
The total re-use achievement shall be calculated with reference to Figure x:
Re-use achievement: % rate =
M5
M1
The total recycling achievement shall be calculated with reference to Figure x:
Recycling achievement: % rate =
M2
M1
The total recovery achievement shall be calculated with reference to Figure x:
Recovery achievement: % rate =
M2 + M3
M1
To demonstrate compliance with this criterion, the manufacturer shall obtain and maintain objective
evidence in the form of statements:
 of re-use from the initial certified re-use operator (percentage by weight to the mass of input
equipment and / or components received for the preparation of re-use)
 of recycling from the initial certified treatment operator (percentage by weight to the mass of
end-of-life equipment and / or components received).
 of recovery from the initial certified treatment operator (percentage by weight to the mass of
end-of-life equipment and / or components received).
© 2014 NSF International