EU Proposes Revisions to WEEE

On Monday the European Commission published proposed revisions to the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive, which came into force in the UK in January 2007.

There are a number of proposed changes would add some strength to the legislation, which has come in for some criticism as being unworkable. The EU reports that only around a third of waste electrical and electronic equipment is being treated according to the legislation with the rest going to landfill (13%) and potentially sub-standard treatment inside or outside the EU (54%). Illegal trade to non-EU countries is still widespread.

Among the EU proposals are:

- Harmonising measuring and reporting for producers, so that national registers are inter-operable

- Clarifying scope and definitions

- Change the target collection rate from the current 4kg/capita per year to a variable target that takes into account the economies of individual member States. The new target is set at 65% of the average weight of products placed on the market in the two preceding years

- Increase the Re-use and recycling targets by 5%

- Member States should encourage producers to finance the cost of collection facilities of waste electrical and electronic equipment from private households.

There is a Q&A around the proposed changes here