Who are we?

Reinicia is an Integrated Management System (IMS) established in 2005 as a non profit association whose corporate purpose is to carry out all the activities described and covered in the Royal Decree 208/2005 of 25 February on the Management of Wastes from Electrical and Electronic Equipment. With the passage of the later Royal Decree 106/2008, of 1 February our mission was extended to include batteries and accumulators. The main objective of these Royal Decrees is to defend the environment and assure sustainable development. To this end these Decrees make it obligatory for the producers of Electrical and Electronic Equipment, batteries and accumulators to collect, treat and manage the wastes from these products that they put on the market

The main activity of Reinicia is the management of wastes from electrical and electronic devices placed on the market by the producers as well as the environmental management of batteries and accumulators. Reinicia’s work is based on the establishment and development of Integrated Management Systems (IMS) for the collection, treatment, reuse and control of the wastes, guaranteeing in this way strict compliance with the environmental legislation

Reinicia’s objectives start with the application of the so called “three Rs” or “3R”: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. This is an ecological maxim which our activity is based on. “Reduce” or taking preventive action is a labor intrinsically linked with modifying our habits of consumption, using fewer and smaller amounts of raw materials and consuming less energy―all of which tends towards “preventing” the circumstances that give rise to environmental problems in the first place. “Reuse”, refers to using our imagination to extend the useful life of everything around us and being respectful of the environment. And finally, “Recycle”, the last stage in this process, means using the wastes to produce new products, saving raw materials and the costs associated with the production of new goods.

In view of these 3R, Reinicia’s objectives are:

1. Reduce the amount of these wastes and the danger of the different elements they are composed of.

2. Design and develop an effective management model with the purpose of improving the effectiveness of environmental protection.

3. Improve the environmental behavior of all parties involved in the life cycles of electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and accumulators and, in particular the behavior of those who are directly involved in the management of wastes derived from these elements.

4. Carry out studies and research on the collection, treatment and control of wastes, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and accumulators.

5. Disseminate information about the collection, treatment and control of these kinds of wastes.

6. Spread the culture of Sustainable Development.

Reinicia is active throughout Spain and is also involved in some international activities, such as the project carried out in Senegal (see the Seneclic Project) to promote the reuse and recycling of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

All of Reinicia’s activities have the objectives of 1) creating a model for Waste Management based on compliance with the Law, 2) informing and training the parties that participate in this process and 3) promoting Sustainable Development.

Reinicia’s waste management model is based on tracking, the model of containerization and International certifications (ISO 9001 and 14001 and EMAS) that assure the company’s superior operational performance and ability to deal effectively with the environment and environmental issues.

Tracking

The success of an Integrated Management System is due largely to the exhaustive control over each of the stages of the treatment and/or recovery life-cycle of end-of-life products & wastes. This stage-by-stage control is called “tracking”.

In the case of Reinicia, we have achieved this by developing next-generation applications that provide involved parties with effective and efficient methods to facilitate all the management-related administrative tasks, increase productivity and assure legal compliance.

The tools created by Reinicia make it possible to create different user profiles for identifying who is using the program, to differentiate among lists of requests according to whether they are from Managers or from an IMS, to create delivery notes and search for those pending invoicing and to issue pre-invoices, among many other possibilities.

Containerization Model

The efficiency of environmental management of wastes starts with their temporary storage. The standardization of the load is a job which is essential to this process and, to do this well, it is necessary to have containers adapted to the both the characteristics of the waste as well as the space available for the container. For this reason, Reinicia has done research on creating more versatile and larger-capacity containers, which are easier to fill, transport & empty and also take up less space.

Our containers have the following characteristics:

- An exclusive system (see “Exclusive System of storage trays”, in Spanish) of storage trays, patented nationally (see “patent”, in Spanish) and internationally (see “patent”, in Spanish), that provides maximum storage efficiency and organization.

The containers are designed so that they can be horizontally compartmentalized into two levels which makes it possible to load different sorts of objects (like pallets, boxes, etc.) independently, without stacking one on top of another so that each object has to support another. The objective is to have a container that can be divided into two levels for loading in such a way that pallets with loads will remain stable, without being directly on top of each other in a classic vertical stack.

Our containers have other characteristics as well:

- They are completely covered so that dangerous wastes / end-of-life products, like refrigerators or televisions, are protected.

- The interior of the containers are made of an impermeable material which guarantees there will be no leaks of dangerous liquids.

- They have a system for access and ventilation designed to help users load and unload the wastes.

- The security locks in the access doors make it virtually impossible to rob or break into the container and damage its contents.

- Container transport is completely mechanical so there is no need for involvement of personnel in the process.

See the Guide for using containers for WEEE storage> (in Spanish)

See the Example of the use of containers> (in Spanish)

Environment and Quality Certificates

For Reinicia, the certification of its Management System is an indispensable requirement for achieving the highest level of quality. At present, Reinicia has the international quality certificates UNE-EN-ISO 9001 and 14001, specifically for environmental management systems, and is about to receive the EMAS certification, the most demanding of the European environmental management standards.

The UNE-EN-ISO 9001 Certificate. The International ISO 9001 Standard for Quality Management Systems is part of a series of standards based on a Management System Model that offers guidelines for actions which can be applied in any kind of organization (services, production, foundations, governmental entities, etc.).

UNE-EN-ISO 14001 Certificate. With this certificate organizations can demonstrate their control over the impacts of their activities, products and services on the environment in accordance with their environmental objectives and the applicable legal requirements.

EMAS Certificate: At this moment, Reinicia is in the process of passing the EMAS ecological Audit (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), one of the strictest in the area of environmental protection. This audit consists of testing a series of ecological objectives related to the current environmental legislation. The validation of this audit is done by independent environmental consultants every three years and a supervisory audit is made once a year as well. The EMAS ecological certificate has been in effect since 1993.

One fundamental factor that distinguishes EMAS is their periodic publication of environmental information through an Environmental Declaration (public document, clearly and concisely written, that should include reliable proven information about the environmental behavior of the organization and the results of its actions)...

Links

Reinicia’s ISO 14001Certificate: ISO 14001 2004 Association Reinicia> (in Spanish)

ISO 9001 Certification> (in Spanish)

ISO 14001 Certification> (in Spanish)

Essential characteristics of the ISO 14000 certificates > (in Spanish)

European Union Environmental Management and Audit System (EMAS)> (in Spanish)

Verification of the European Eco-management & Audit Verification Scheme> (in Spanish)

EMAS III: Consolidation of the European Ecological Management & Audit Scheme (in Spanish)

Video to provide more information on the ISO certification to the general public.

Video on the ISO certificates aimed at businesses and government bodies.

The premises that underlie the definition of Reinicia’s objectives as well as its strategy for improving our environmental management system include:

- Complying with the UNE-EN-ISO 14001 standards and the EMAS Regulations.

Go to UNE-EN-ISO 14001 Standards> (in Spanish)

Go to the EMAS Regulation> (in Spanish)

- Complying with the requirements of our clients, Governmental entities and any other organization or party that voluntarily signs agreements with Reinicia.

- Making quantitative evaluations on the environmental impacts of our activity with the objective of identifying those which are most important.

- Planning and controlling the implementation of our Environmental objectives of reducing the environmental impact caused by company activity.

- Increasing the participation of and communications with all parties (internal and external) involved with our organization.

- Supporting & fomenting compliance with the Royal Decree 208/2005 on electrical and electronic equipment and the Royal Decree 106/2008 on batteries and accumulators and the management of the resulting wastes, and any legislative modifications of these decrees.

Seneclic: The flow of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) to Senegal has been growing quickly in recent years. It is calculated that in 2008 some 20,000 tons of this kind of waste entered Senegal with no control, since the Senegalese Customs do not distinguish between new and second hand computer and IT materials that enter the country.

Conscious of the problems the lack of control over this kind of waste leads to, The Presidency of the Republic of Senegal created Seneclic in 2007 for the promotion, reuse and recycling of the WEEE.

Reinicia, Ecolec and Recicla, three of the main Spanish Integrated Management Systems, decided to help put the President of Senegal’s idea into practice by creating centers for reconditioning computers, installing multimedia rooms in Senegalese schools and setting up a recycling and separation plant for electrical and electronic equipment.

The objectives: take advantage of the discarded computers and IT equipment of the large multinationals that are in good enough condition to be used to strengthen the Senegalese education system and in this way combat the digital illiteracy gap and reduce social exclusion.

Seneclic aims to reduce mathematical illiteracy and social exclusion and has other objectives like the creation of multimedia rooms for educational purposes and the support of handicapped persons by subsidizing computers for the schools.

SENECLIC’s Tasks and Objectives

Beyond the promotion of International agreements, the center’s mission is to evaluate the national situation with respect to the rational environmental management of waste electrical and electronic equipment, to promote mechanisms for spreading knowledge-transfer technology and to interchange information about dangerous wastes & other sorts of wastes and chemical products.

The main tasks of the center are:

a. Further the transfer of technologies to be used by waste treatment plants.

b. Provide support and information to the sector with the purpose of increasing awareness about dangerous wastes.

c. Work towards obtaining synergies with the Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and with other multilateral environmental agreements.

d. Provide support for countries in the development of legislation that will favor the implementation of the provisions of the Basel Convention and other pertinent international legislation.

Objectives

To comply with its mission, the center has set a number of objectives:

- The strengthening of technical, legal, economic and management skills of the different actors in the field of hazardous waste management in the countries served by the center.

- The promotion of cooperation to prevent and control illegal traffic of wastes.

- Contribute to the passing of environmental legislation.

- Support other countries in the application of national Waste Management programs.

- Promote training on waste management and environmental issues for directors of companies and health services, Customs civil servants, etc.

- Work towards getting the non-governmental organizations and other segments of society involved in the management of wastes and chemical products.

- Help local communities to become more aware of environmental issues.

- Support the Board of Directors in preparing technical and management guidelines for the effective elimination of dangerous EEE and chemical wastes.

The Center carries out three kinds of activities: training and skill building, the application of the provisions of the Basel Convention and other pertinent agreements and finally the management of the most ecologically problematic wastes according to the Basel Convention.

The official Web of Seneclic >

Reinicia places great value on training as a tool for providing knowledge and competencies to all parties involved in the process of managing waste electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and accumulators.

This training integrates all stages and aspects of EEE waste management, from the different tracking models that make it possible to know the exact route of a waste product starting from its collection until its ultimate destination to the logistic models used by Reinicia to optimize the recycling process.

WEEE recycling/Introduction: The Royal Decree 2008/2005 on Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Management of the wastes from these products has the following objectives: reduce the quantity these wastes and the danger of their components; promote the reuse of the equipment/devices/appliances and the valuation of their waste products and design and implement an adequate management system for these wastes so as to improve the efficiency of the environmental protection. To achieve these objectives, the Law has established a series of regulations that apply to product manufacturing and others related to the correct environmental management of these products once their useful life-cycle is finished and they “become” wastes.

According to official data provided by the member States of the Environmental Commission of the European Parliament in 2010, between 8.3 and 9.1 million tons of technological junk are placed into European Landfills and Dumps every year. This amount is increasing every year.

At present only 22% of these wastes are collected and treated adequately. It is estimated that every European citizen generates an average of four kilos of these wastes every year.

The Environmental Commission recommends that by 2016, 85% of the wastes created by each country should be collected and that between 50 and 75% of the WEEE should be recycled.

As well, the EU loses a lot of raw materials as a consequence of the large amount of waste that is exported illegally. For example, for every million mobile phones we lose:

- 250 kilos of silver.

- 24 kilos of gold.

- 9 kilos of palladium.

- 9 tons of copper.

One of the consequences of bad management of waste electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and accumulators is that it becomes impossible to reuse or recover them or their components, which means a significant waste of resources. However, what is an even more serious consequence is the more than probable pollution of the environment with dangerous substances which accumulate over time.

If we take a look around us we will see that there are numerous devices (cameras, radios, toys, laptops, mobile phones, lanterns, remote controls and a long list of others) that function thanks to electricity generated by batteries or accumulators.

The problem is that these electrical “generators” contain heavy metals like mercury, nickel, cadmium, manganese or lithium and non existent or bad environmental management of these may lead to their ending up in landfills causing an environmental and public health problem.

Batteries and accumulators indiscriminately tossed into the trash are responsible for 93% of the mercury, 45% of Zinc, 48% of cadmium and 22% of nickel detected when measuring the soils of the landfills where household waste and trash are dumped.

These batteries and accumulators undergo internal corrosion processes as a result of both the substances they contain as well as external corrosion processes which take place due to the effect of the climate and the fermentation of the surrounding trash, especially organic material.

The process is simple: When there is a leak of internal electrolytes in the batteries, this carries with it the heavy metals. These metals seep into the soil contaminating all living organisms in the area (they are absorbed and assimilated by plants and animals alike). This process takes place even more rapidly because of the oxidation of the metals and, above all, the fact that the batteries or accumulators are in soils which are saline or with a very acidic PH.

Reinicia as an Integrated Management System is responsible for assuring the effective recovery and recycling of these components by its members, by applying the current environmental legislation and taking a number of measures to achieve these objectives:

• Take steps to facilitate the valuation or controlled elimination of used batteries and accumulators.

• Organize effective systems for the selective collection of WEEE.

• Ensure that our members comply with all their legal obligations in this area, for example, to produce and/or sell only equipment from which batteries and accumulators can be easily extracted, or to strictly follow and comply with the current labeling standards.

• Create training programs that will lead to more recycling and with greater effectiveness.

• Inform consumers about all of the measures being taken by Reinicia to achieve compliance with the environmental legislation on Management of WEEE.

Reinicia places its knowledge, experience, technical and human resources at the disposition of all parties participating in the recycling process (producers, distributors, public administrators and citizens) that wish to obtain guarantees (legal, training, technical & logistical support) that can only be offered them by an Integrated Management System (IMS).

Reinicia, as a company and environmental manager, is endorsed by the most demanding international ISO certificates. It is proud to have its own patents and technological developments for attaining the maximum efficiency and effectiveness in all of its actions. Reinicia provides training on how to deal successfully with a “Renovation Plan” (“Renove Plan” in Spanish, which is a plan promoted by Autonomous Communities to get consumers to turn in their old contaminating appliances, devices, etc. in exchange for newer less contaminating appliances at a discount). Reinicia is also active in educating and building citizen awareness of their ecological obligations so that they will achieve maximum efficiency in energy use by reducing consumption. Reinicia is known for its negotiating skills and willingness to collaborate to reach agreements with other organizations (Central & City Governments, other IMS, etc.).

All of this with a single objective: that the members of Reinicia comply with their environmental objectives in the safest and most effective way possible and put into practice the environmental maxim of the three “Rs” (·R). Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Go to services for producers > (in Spanish)

Go to services for distributors > (in Spanish)

Go to collaboration with government bodies > (in Spanish)

Go to citizen services > (in Spanish)

For more information please contact Reinicia by telephone at 902 996 991 or by e-mail at Esta dirección electrónica esta protegida contra spam bots. Necesita activar JavaScript para visualizarla .

Training is a key tool that should not be overlooked. Reinicia invests a lot of effort in this fundamental task to provide all parties involved with the necessary competencies so that they can know and carry out their tasks better.

The training courses that we offer are adapted to the needs of each participant and guarantee the correct environmental management of 1) all the EEE placed on the market by our members and 2) batteries and accumulators when they are thrown out by the consumers. As well, the training we provide leads to optimization of the management costs of the WEEE, batteries and accumulators.

We provide specific courses on the Management of WEEE to the operational personnel of distributors. It should not be forgotten that while “Renovation Plans” are in effect, Reinicia will implement reinforcement actions to facilitate the operations and logistics of these campaigns, performing networking days with the stakeholders involved in the management process of WEEE, batteries and accumulators.

Reinicia also organizes different training courses expressly meant to raise the environmental awareness of the citizens and provide them with the necessary tools to be able to collaborate in sustainable development.

For more information, you may contact Reinicia by phone at 902 996 991.

For Reinicia, the certification of its Management System is an indispensable requirement for achieving the highest level of quality. At present, Reinicia has the international quality certificates UNE-EN-ISO 9001 and 14001, specifically for environmental management systems, and is about to receive the EMAS certification, the most demanding of the European environmental management standards.

The UNE-EN-ISO 9001 Certificate. The International ISO 9001 Standard for Quality Management Systems is part of a series of standards based on a Management System Model that offers guidelines for actions which can be applied in any kind of organization (services, production, foundations, governmental entities, etc.).

UNE-EN-ISO 14001 Certificate. With this certificate organizations can demonstrate their control over the impacts of their activities, products and services on the environment in accordance with their environmental objectives and the applicable legal requirements.

EMAS Certificate: At this moment, Reinicia is in the process of passing the EMAS ecological Audit (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), one of the strictest in the area of environmental protection. This audit consists of testing a series of ecological objectives related to the current environmental legislation. The validation of this audit is done by independent environmental consultants every three years and a supervisory audit is made once a year as well. The EMAS ecological certificate has been in effect since 1993.

One fundamental factor that distinguishes EMAS is their periodic publication of environmental information through an Environmental Declaration (public document, clearly and concisely written, that should include reliable proven information about the environmental behavior of the organization and the results of its actions)...

Links

Essential characteristics of the ISO 14000 certificates > (in Spanish)

European Union Environmental Management and Audit System (EMAS)> (in Spanish)

Video to provide more information on the ISO certification to the general public.

Video on the ISO certificates aimed at businesses and government bodies.