EU Directive on Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)

Target

• Take back requirements
• Recycling quotas
• Incentives to design electrical and electronic equipment in an environmentally more efficient way, which takes waste management aspects fully into account
• Consumers will be able to return their equipment free of charge

Status

• Directive 2002/96/EC of 27 January 2003
• Implementation 13. February 2003
• Regulations for WEEE to be made 2005

Product groups

• Large and small household appliances
• IT and telecommunications equipment
• Consumer and lighting equipment
• Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools)
• Toys, leisure and sports equipment
• Medical devices
• Monitoring and control instruments
• Automatic dispensers

Requirements

• "Distributor" or "producer" are obliged to follow the requirements
• Rules are not of direct relevancy for (component) supplier
• Watch out for requirements, which will be passed down the supply chain by your customers
• Separate Collection ≥ 4 kg per inhabitant and year from households (per country)
• Large household appliances, automatic dispensers
• ≥ 80 w.-% recovery; ≥ 75 w.-% re-use, recycling


• ICT, consumer electronics
• ≥ 75 w.-% recovery; ≥ 65 w.-% re-use, recycling


• Small household appliances, lighting equipment, electrical and electronic tools (without large-scale stationary industrial tools), toys, leisure and sports equipment monitoring and control instruments
• ≥ 70 w.-% recovery; ≥ 50 % re-use/ recycling


• WEEE from private households (B2C)
• Producers install systems for take back free of cost for final user, at least take back from public collection points
• Individual or collective systems possible
• Producers take over cost of re-use, recycling, disposal
• Distributors voluntarily (but free of cost) may take back WEEE


• WEEE from other than private users (B2B)
• Producer has to offer appropriate possibility for take back for B2B customers
• Producer responsible for collection, re-use, recycling, disposal, and costs of "new" WEEE

Eco-Design Relevancy

• Member States shall inspire the design and production of EEE
• Which take into account and facilitate dismantling and recovery
• Priority on reuse and recycling of WEEE, their components and materials


• In this context, Member States shall take appropriate measures so that
• Producers do not prevent, through specific design features or manufacturing processes, WEEE from being reused
• Unless such specific design features or manufacturing processes present overriding advantages, for example, with regard to the protection of the environment and/or safety requirements

EU Link

• WEEE Directive
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment