In the last two parts of this series, it was discussed how good social design methodologies in the recycling industry, could lead to some sustainable habits and results.

● Good social design honors the reality - The processors in the recycling industry need to own up to the fact that their reputation needs to be improved. One way to do this is to avail themselves of the opportunities presented by the SERI grant tracking program.

● Good social design creates ownership - Processors can begin to take the initiative in creating an environment and tools that enable the participants to govern their own domain. For example, they have the use of Greenlyfocus's green tracking services as a visibility tool. With this tool they can collect valuable information that they can share among each other to uncover bad actors and unitedly improve the overall industry reputation.

This now turns our attention to the topic of properly administering the power within the processing community. Giving the processor the tools, guidance and space will yield positive outcomes. Instead of being afraid, they can step up as a group and take action. As a group they have more leverage to change the system. This builds confidence. This confidence reduces the fear of sharing information which is needed to correct the problems in the industry. Once fear is gone, just decisions based on documented evidence will be made that will build the power of judgement into each recycler. Ultimately, this will give each recycler the power to control their respective downstreams. Also, they have a common platform that they can share and discuss as a caring community. The outcomes of this community can shape the face of the recycling industry for good, one processor at a time.

For example, for the 100 processors making up the SERI grant community, they can set guidelines within or even beyond the standard certification guidelines for transboundary movement of e-waste. They can set up a rotating governing body to enforce these directives. If these directives and standards are not adhered to, they can collectively approach the bad actor privately along with a neutral entity. If the processor doesn’t listen, then the next step would be to get the auditors and certification bodies involved with supporting evidence derived from their collective tools. There are several non-profit organizations in the industry that can host this governing body.

As a long-term strategy, the social design methodology can work for the recycling industry. However, it will take a considerable amount of time to achieve quantitative parity and respect in the eyes of the public. This is because of the simple fact that processors don’t see an immediate Return On Investment (ROI) or enforcement vehicle encouraging them to change their habits. For example, out of the 100 trackers that were disseminated from the SERI grant, only 6 companies have deployed them.

So in parallel, to expedite this process, Producers, Certification bodies/Auditors, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs and Political regulators need to align and actively uphold the standards set by the industry and emphasize to bad actors the importance of secure and safe recycling. If the message that nothing less will be tolerated is conveyed, then real positive changes will take place.