CECED: Directive should cover all WEEE

Europe – CECED, the organisation representing the household appliance manufacturing industry in more than 20 countries across Europe, remains concerned that a substantial amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) risks escaping official control under current regulatory proposals.

All WEEE produced in Europe must be brought under the scope of the EU’s Directive, meaning the application of stringent recycling requirements not only to producers but also to other operators that handle WEEE. According to CECED, however, Article 11 of the proposed revision of the WEEE Directive has not yet tackled this important issue. The organisation is also concerned that attempts to find a realistic solution to finance the collection of WEEE have not been retained by Members of the European Parliament in their second-reading recommendations.

Luigi Meli, Director General of CECED, says: ‘This recast provides a real opportunity to deliver a Directive that works in practice. A lot of WEEE is still not being returned to producer or producer-financed WEEE treatment schemes for correct processing and treatment. This is because e-waste has value and, in the context of increasing resource scarcity, this value is increasing.’

He continues: ‘Other operators that handle WEEE in addition to those officially designated as WEEE producers must be covered by the revised legislation, particularly to meet the recycling target as set out in Article 11.1. Ensuring full coverage of all WEEE under the revised e-waste Directive would ensure electronic waste is less likely to damage the environment. It would also be a step forward in responding to Europe’s developing resource efficiency response.’