European e-cycling efficiency grows

Archiv – A total of 428 600 tonnes of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was collected last year by 16 take-back systems operating in Europe. Together, these initiatives serve around 130 million inhabitants in 11 countries.A total of 428 600 tonnes of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was collected last year by 16 take-back systems operating in Europe. Together, these initiatives serve around 130 million inhabitants in 11 countries.
The figures come from the Brussels-based WEEE Forum, which represents 35 collective take-back systems in 21 EU member states as well as in Switzerland and Norway. The statistics have been released a year after legislation covering WEEE take-back came into force.
WEEE collection volumes will be further boosted next year due to a combination of factors. Currently, operational systems are still expanding their scope to all 10 categories of WEEE, including professional products (B2B). In some countries, new systems have only recently entered operation and awareness among consumers is therefore expected to grow over the coming months. Furthermore, in some of the larger EU member states such as France, Italy, Poland and the UK, collective take-back systems are still to start their collection activities.
Various operational costs for the early WEEE systems have decreased over recent years due to improved efficiencies and new contracts with service providers. However, a net operational cost still remains to be paid because the quality of WEEE collection has grown substantially. WEEE Forum members are also obliged to consider additional costs, resulting from fees to be paid to distribution chains, payments for clearing houses or costs for collecting fees and controlling free riders.
’In countries where collective schemes are operational, the volume of equipment taken back and recycled is growing substantially and the related costs are decreasing year after year,’ observes Filip Geerts, President of the WEEE Forum. ‘€˜This evidently shows that collective take-back systems are stimulating competition in the WEEE market, which is ultimately beneficial to the consumer and reduces contributions to be paid.’€™
The on-going process of quality improvement is achieved through the acceptance and introduction of higher harmonised treatment standards and a detailed reporting system. ‘€˜WEEE Forum members have invested substantial amounts in new technologies to be used as a standard by the WEEE community,’€™ according to Mr Geerts. ‘€˜In the end, this approach will contribute to the individual producer’€™s responsibility.’€™