Commission tackles growing problem of electrical and electronic waste

In a move to tackle the growing problem of electrical and electronic waste and to complement EU measures on landfill and incineration of waste, the European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and a proposal for...

In a move to tackle the growing problem of electrical and electronic waste and to complement EU measures on landfill and incineration of waste, the European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and a proposal for a Directive restricting the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

'Increased recycling of electrical and electronic equipment, in accordance with the requirements of the proposals for a WEEE Directive, will limit the total quantity of waste going to final disposal,' says the Commission.

The Directives also call for producers to be responsible for taking back and recycling electrical and electronic equipment in a more environmentally efficient way, taking waste management aspects fully into account. Consumers will also be able to return equipment free of charge.

Additionally, in order to prevent the generation of hazardous waste, the proposal for a Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances also requires the substitution of various heavy metals and brominated flame retardants on new electrical and electronic equipment from 1 January 2008.

Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for the Environment, welcomed the Commission's adoption of the proposal. 'This is a major step toward the objective of sustainable production and consumption. I am pleased that the Commission has been able to agree on a balanced initiative, which the environment, consumers and industry all stand to gain form.'

The waste stream of electronic and electrical equipment has been identified as one of the fastest growing waste streams in the European Union, constituting 4% of municipal waste, and increasing by 16 to 28% every five years, according to the Commission. This s is three times as fast as the growth of average municipal waste.