Meeting Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements
People Advancing Reintegration (aka PAR Recycle Works) is a Philadelphia-based non-profit electronic waste (or e-waste) recycler that provides transitional employment to people returning from incarceration and reintegrating into the workforce. It is the perfect balance between important environmental goals and an equally key social mission. I interviewed PAR’s General Manager, Maurice Q. Jones and Board President, George Limbach. Why? PAR recently received two third-party accreditations, R2v3 and RIOS, by meeting rigorous standards for operations, quality, environment, health and safety. PAR has been hard at work to earn these certifications, and they are now able to display them proudly.
PAR’s Board President, George Limbach, and General Manager, Maurice Q. Jones
Recycling Responsibly
R2v3 (Responsible Recycling) serves to address the improper disposal of electronics in landfills as well as the export of e-waste into developing countries. It also recognizes the need for the reuse of old electronics, and is prepared to address future technological developments and react accordingly. The requirements contained within the RIOS (Recycling Industry Operating Standard™) standard are meant for companies to evaluate, understand, and eliminate quality, environmental, and health and safety risks.
Interview with Maurice Q. Jones and George Limbach
The Inspiration Behind PAR
Fernando Leon Rueda: Congratulations for achieving R2 and RIOS certifications! What drove you to pursue environmental work with such a significant social mission?
Maurice Q. Jones: The “social mission” concept came first. We wanted to create something to give back to the community, specifically reintegration of those returning from prison into the workforce. The national recidivism rate (the rate at which those released reoffend) is 65%. Conditions for returning citizens make it extremely difficult to obtain sustainable employment. However, at PAR, with the employment and social support that we provide, our experience has been 5%, a 90% reduction from the historial recidivism rate. In addition to the social mission focus, we wanted to create a business that was environmentally sustainable. We noticed the insurmountable problem with electronic waste, and decided to address how to collect and responsibly process e-waste in our area.
George Limbach: The social mission drove our work. We wanted to create an enterprise that helped those that were returning to the workforce from incarceration. I had previously worked with a group of inmates in a prison program that guided participants toward job re-entry. It provided guidance in planning for release, but the missing link was the all-important employment. In searching for a business model to support our plan, we took inspiration from a similar business in Indianapolis, and PAR-Recycle Works was born in 2016.
From Concept to Reality
Leon Rueda: After being with PAR for the past eight years, what does it mean to you currently?
Jones: It’s really been surreal just because there’s been so many iterations of what PAR currently is. Now, we’re just trying to determine what the future’s going to be.
Limbach: For me, PAR is an inspirational place where I get to see lives transformed. Oftentimes, people return from the judiciary system with minimal confidence and few soft or hard skills. Not only do we provide a temporary job right out of the system, but we also provide other workshops, such as digital and financial literacy education, conflict management, inventory management, and life skills coaching. I’d say that PAR represents hope for the future for our employees.
PAR Employees at an E-Waste Event
It Takes a Village
Leon Rueda: How have you been personally affected by seeing the success of the returning citizens?
Jones: It’s honestly almost…cathartic. As someone that has been through the justice system, it’s healing to be able to reach back into the community and help others reintegrate into the workforce. I truly love seeing the successes of our people, and my own experiences were the catalyst for what PAR is now.
Limbach: There’s so many different individuals that have come through PAR that have taken so many different life paths. “It takes a village” represents PAR; it is that village. We often give employees that first job coming out of the system where they can build confidence and feel comfortable working again. Employees are with us for about four to six months in order to relearn the necessary skills to re-enter the workforce. I remember one individual who felt so much at home at PAR that she didn’t want to leave when it was her time to do so. Eventually, we had to part ways, and that person came back to visit us periodically just to see how we were doing. That’s the kind of environment that is fostered at PAR.
Students Visiting PAR’s Warehouse
Meeting Standards: PAR’s Process
Leon Rueda: Switching to R2v3/RIOS, I understand that it took a lot of hard work reaching these standards – especially around new environmental, health, and safety policies. Can you explain why PAR chose to go through the R2v3 and RIOS certification?
Limbach: These certifications are the industry version of a “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.” Organizations looking to dispose of end-of-life electronics want to do so responsibly and so they seek to use recyclers that have achieved these certifications. We wanted to be able to have these certifications in order to a) have an increase in material for business, and b) be able to hire more staff. So naturally, the journey was elaborate, but well worth the effort. It required a lot of institutionalized procedures that we had to implement.
Leon Rueda: What were some of the challenges that you and PAR faced throughout the process?
Jones: A challenge is staffing. Because we are a transitional employer, we have constant turnover. This means that training in R2 and RIOS standards is not a one time step, but an ongoing process. Another challenge is that once we receive R2 and RIOS certification, it’s not a one-and-done process. Companies have to continue to meet the standards and the audits occur yearly. Looking ahead, we know what to expect and how to go about it. This is PAR’s new norm now.
A Positive Outcome
Leon Rueda: Can you describe some of the positive aspects that were created for PAR while going through this process?
Jones: We were able to secure contracts with some larger financial institutions. From here, we’re considering expanding into healthcare and working with hospitals. That’s our next approach now that we have these certifications.
Limbach: Going through this process caused PAR to be attentive to a lot more details, from forklift operation safety procedures to where the nearest first aid kit or eyewash station are located. It really just tightened everything up, all for the benefit of the employees.
Moving Forward
Leon Rueda: How will having these certifications help PAR moving forward?
Jones: The R2v3 and RIOS certifications will give us more notoriety from each of the certifications’ respective certifying bodies. Additionally, we’re foreseeing an uptick in incoming material. This will allow us to serve more people.
Limbach: These certifications will open up a number of suppliers for us to do business with. PAR is the only non-profit in Philadelphia that has the social mission that we have, as well as the only non-profit in the area that has these specific certifications.
Leon Rueda: That is all for this interview, thank you so much!
Visitors Learn About PAR’s Process
Hope for the Future
PAR Recycle Works offers a beacon of hope for the future, for e-waste recycling and for an underserved and often overlooked population. The R2v3 and RIOS certifications indicate PAR’s commitment and drive to prioritize responsible recycling and better serve its community. We are very excited to see them continue to grow and develop into an industry leader in the coming years. Consider having PAR collect your company’s or community’s e-waste. For more information, see par-recycleworks.org.
By Fernando Leon Rueda, Boston College ‘25, Sustainability Intern, Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants.
Article published in PAISBOA’s Friday Flyer Vol. XIII, No. 6- April 12, 2024.
