NEWS
ENVIRONMENT: NEW RULES ON E-WASTE TO
BOOST RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
I
mproved rules on the collection and treatment of e- waste have entered into force. 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: "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 entering into force 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. 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.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/ weee/
index_en.htm
• news • news • news • news • news • news • news •
and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and other organisations with significant low carbon innovation interests. Energy and Climate
Change Minister Greg Barker said: “Innovation is key to the growth of the low carbon economy here in the UK. This new analysis will help us better understand the value of these technologies to our growing green economy as well as the barriers to commercialisation, helping us put our available investment in the right place to spur on further innovation.” Key findings of the
Technology Innovation Needs Assessments (TINAs): CCS: Innovation across the CCS technology chain could reduce UK energy system costs by £10-45bn to 2050, and innovation to ensure the security of long-term CO2
storage remains particularly critical to CCS viability. The key technological components of carbon capture, transport and injection have been demonstrated at commercial scale, however, component costs and efficiency penalties remain high and uncertain, and many challenges related to full integration remain to be tackled. Innovation could also help create a UK industry with the potential to contribute further economic value of £3-16bn to 2050.
Electricity networks and storage (EN&S): Advanced EN&S technologies have the potential to address new stresses that are likely to be placed on the electricity system, and to do so more cost-effectively than would be possible through traditional methods of grid reinforcement and fossil-fuel-powered system balancing capacity.
EN&S technologies could play an important role in the future energy system, supporting the uptake of renewable electricity generation, renewable heat, electric vehicles (EVs), and other low carbon
technologies. Innovation in EN&S technologies could save the UK £4-19bn to 2050 and could help create UK-based business opportunities that could contribute an estimated £6-34bn to GDP to 2050. Marine energy: The UK has a large natural resource of marine energy that could make a meaningful
contribution to the UK energy mix from around 2025. Cost of energy generated will need to reach around £100/MWh by 2025 for marine energy to be competitive with other technologies. This pathway is ambitious but possible with significant innovation. If successful, innovation in
Marine energy could save the energy system approximately £3-8bn and help create a UK industry that could contribute an estimated £1-4bn to GDP up to 2050.
The TINA findings will be used to underpin the design and focus of DECC’s and other LCICG’s members’ programmes and activities in these technology areas. The first TINA on offshore wind was published in February 2012. TINAs for other technology areas including Bioenergy, Industrial Energy Efficiency, Heat, Domestic Buildings, Nuclear Fission and Hydrogen are expected to be published over the next few months.
www.decc.gov.uk/en/ content/cms/funding/ funding_ops/innovation/ tinas/
tinas.aspx
PUBLIC SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY • VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6
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