The European Commission’s (EC’s) new rules on the collection and treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) come into force today (13 August).
Officially made law in July, the WEEE recast hopes to improve resource efficiency in electrical products and increase WEEE recycling rates across Europe. The new rules state that from 2016, member states must collect 45 per cent of the weight of electronic equipment sold on their markets, rising to 65 per cent from 2019 (or 85 per cent of electronic waste generated).
Also included in the recast of the 2003 WEEE legislation is a specification that by 2018, all equipment containing ozone-depleting substances, such as mercury, will have to be collected separately. It is hoped that by 2020, the EU will recycle approximately 20 kilogrammes (kg) of WEEE per person (currently 4kg).
Environment Commissioner JanezPotocnik said: "In these times of economic turmoil and rising prices for raw materials, resource efficiency is where environmental benefits and innovative growth opportunities come together. We now need to open new collection channels for electronic waste and improve the effectiveness of existing ones. I encourage the member states to meet these new targets before the formal deadline."
The new directive also hopes to reduce the illegal export of waste by obligating exporters to test whether equipment works or not, and provide documents on the nature of shipments that could be thought illegal.
Scott Butler, Managing Director at European Recycling Platform (ERP) welcomed the recast, saying: “ERP welcomes the fact that the WEEE recast has now been published…
“The recast will introduce a number of important changes and poses a number of challenges. We are excited by the opportunities this will present and to working even more closely with our local authority and waste management partners.”
Member states will now have until 14 February 2014 to align their existing legislation on WEEE with the new directive.
More information on the WEEE recast can be found on the European Commission’s website.
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