NEW RULES ON E-WASTE FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
NEW RULES ON E-WASTE FROM THE EUROPEAN
COMMISSION
The Parliamentary Information Office has
reported over the years on industrial and domestic waste management and
recycling and is monitoring closely progress across Europe as well as in the UK
Improved
rules from Brussels on the collection and treatment of e-waste entered into
force last week. E-waste (i.e. waste electrical and electronic equipment, or
WEEE) is one the fastest growing waste streams, and it offers substantial
opportunities in terms of making secondary raw materials available on the
market. Systematic collection and proper treatment is a precondition for
recycling materials like gold, silver, copper and rare metals in used TVs,
laptops and mobile phones. The new Directive is a clear step forward in terms
of environmental protection and a major boost to resource efficiency in Europe.
Environment
Commissioner Janez Potočnik 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 Directive
introduces a collection target of 45% of electronic equipment sold that will
apply from 2016 and, as a second step from 2019, a target of 65% of equipment
sold, or 85% of electronic waste generated. Member States will be able to
choose which one of these two equivalent ways to measure the target they wish
to report. From 2018, the Directive will be extended from its current
restricted scope to all categories of electronic waste, subject to an impact
assessment beforehand.
The Directive
gives Member States the tools to fight the illegal export of waste more
effectively. Illegal shipments of WEEE are a serious problem, especially when
they are disguised as legal shipments of used equipment to circumvent EU waste
treatment rules. The new Directive will oblige exporters to test whether
equipment works or not, and provide documents on the nature of shipments that
could be thought illegal.
Another
expected improvement is the reduction of administrative burdens through
harmonisation of national registration and reporting requirements. Requirements
by Member States' registers for producers of e-waste will now be aligned more
closely.
Currently
only one third of electrical and electronic waste in the EU is separately
collected within the documented system. The existing EU collection target is 4
kg of WEEE per capita, representing about 2 million tons per year, out of
around 10 million tonnes of WEEE generated annually in the EU. By 2020, it is
estimated that the volume of WEEE will increase to 12 million tons. The final
target of the new Directive, an ambitious 85% of all WEEE generated, will
ensure that in 2020 around 10 million tons, or roughly 20kg per capita, will be
separately collected in the EU.
Next Steps
By 14
February 2014 at the latest, Member States will have to amend their existing
legislation on WEEE and align it with the new Directive and the new targets.
Consumers can then return small e-waste at large retail shops unless existing
alternative schemes are shown to be at least as effective. From the date of
national transposition onwards, a reversed burden of proof will apply to
shipments of used equipment which are suspected to be illegal waste shipments.
From
2016 onwards, Member States will be required to ensure that 45% of electrical
and electronic equipment sold in each country is collected.
From
2018 onwards, the scope of the Directive is widened from today's categories to
all electrical and electronic equipment.
From
2019 onwards, the collection target is raised to 65 % of electrical and
electronic equipment sold, or the alternative measure of 85 % of WEEE
generated.
Some
Member States will be able to derogate from the new targets for a limited time,
where this is justified by a lack of necessary infrastructure or low levels of
consumption of electronic equipment.
The
Commission will use the powers given in the new Directive to harmonise the
frequency of reporting by producers to the national registers, and the format
for registration and reporting. The Commission will review certain changes
agreed with the new Directive, for example as regards the scope, in order to
identify any undesirable effects.
The
existing WEEE Directive (Directive 2002/96/EC) has been in force since February
2003. It provides for the creation of collection schemes where consumers return
their used e-waste free of charge. The purpose is to prevent harm to human
health and the environment from hazardous substances contained in WEEE, and to
increase the recycling and/or re-use of products and materials. In December
2008, the Commission proposed a recast WEEE Directive, and this has now been
modified and adopted by the Parliament and the Council.
In January this year Environment
Commissioner Janez Potočnik announced that, according to a European Commission
study, full implementation of EU waste legislation would save €72 billion a
year, increase the annual turnover of the EU waste management and recycling
sector by €42 billion and create over 400,000 jobs by 2020. Illegal waste
operations in Member States are causing missed opportunities for economic
growth, but stronger national inspections and better knowledge about waste
management would bring major improvements.
Mr Potočnik said at the time:
"We
need to see waste as a resource – and to bury that resource in the ground is
worse than short-sighted. This report shows that waste management and recycling
can make a big contribution to economic growth and job creation. If the
existing legislation was implemented properly, we could avoid costly clean-up
operations, pollution and health problems. And let's not forget that recycled
materials are cheaper than virgin ones – and that they reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and our dependence on imports."
The Parliamentary Information Office will continue to report on environmental
issues and their impact on the UK and our European partners as we go through
the months ahead.
20th August 2012
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