BRIEFING
Action on waste
Is it time to rethink the legislative framework for the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment and appliances at the end of their lifetime?
A
gainst a background of increasingly gloomy predictions on the impact of climate change if consumers and
industry don’t adapt a more responsible behavior, there is room for improvement when it comes to dealing with waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Earlier this year, the European Union
called on member states to do more to meet waste and recycling targets, reminding them that there is a legal obligation for the 27 member states to implement EU environmental law. Under current legislation the minimum
collection rate to be achieved annually by the member states is set at 65% of the average weight of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market in the three preceding years in that member state concerned, or, alternatively, 85% of WEEE generated on the territory of that member state.
Te WEEE Forum, a Brussels-
based international association speaking for 52 not-for-profit producer responsibility organizations, says that member states’ failure to meet the collection rates suggests that the waste legislation is in need of a rethink. “While it is undeniably true that
more WEEE must be separately collected, in view of proper re-use, repair or recycling, and that waste legislation must be adequately implemented and enforced, this failure in meeting the minimum collection rates underscores the urgency of a thorough rethink of waste legislation,” says Pascal Leroy, director general of the WEEE Forum. Among the actions that the WEEE
Alfredo Oliveira, vice president, European Federation of Catering Equipment Manufacturers
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Forum calls for are a revision of the Waste Framework and WEEE legislation; an initiative to design and develop circularity metrics, which are currently unfit for purpose; a review of the Eurostat system of waste statistics; and an integration of extended producer responsibility (EPR) waste objectives in materials management. From the perspective of the European
Federation of Catering Equipment Manufacturers (EFCEM), vice president
“It is difficult to dispose of appliances at the end of the lifecycle because end- users often don't have the information. It is only when they ask for a replacement that the product is sent to the right place”
Alfredo Oliveira says there is a need for a fresh look at electrical appliance and equipment disposal for business end-users. Oliveira says best practice for
foodservice operators when disposing of large appliances depends on each country. “Here in Portugal, you will need to send to a recycling operator, and he will be responsible for making the product final end of life,” he explains, adding that it is rarely a smooth process. “It is very difficult to dispose of appliances at the end of the lifecycle because end-users normally do not have the correct information; it is only when they ask for a replacement with installation that the end product will be sent to the right place,” he concludes.
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