European group establishes WEEE compliance plan

Archiv – Four leading manufacturers of electrical and electronic appliances – Braun, Electrolux, HP and Sony – have set up the first pan-European take-back and compliance scheme for waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). To administer the scheme, the quartet has established a Paris-registered limited company known as ERP.Four leading manufacturers of electrical and electronic appliances – Braun, Electrolux, HP and Sony – have set up the first pan-European take-back and compliance scheme for waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). To administer the scheme, the quartet has established a Paris-registered limited company known as ERP.
’Our objective is to create the most cost-efficient WEEE take-back compliance scheme and to stimulate competition between WEEE take-back systems in all EU countries,’ explains ERP’€™s President Hans Korfmacher. ‘€˜We anticipate that the customers and consumers of each of the companies involved will benefit from the cost efficiencies we will achieve through ERP.’€™
The new limited company will outsource all operational activities to at least two general contractors, including recycling, logistics and administrative work. ‘€˜ERP will take back WEEE from municipal and other collection points, such as retailers, in order to provide the best service for our customers and to ensure compliance for its members,’€™ Mr Korfmacher continues. The company will focus its operations initially on Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK, and will apply for any necessary permits as and when legislation and procedures become clear in each individual market. Additional countries will be considered at a later stage.
ERP represents an estimated 15% of the pan-European WEEE take-back market and negotiations are taking place with a number of other companies interested in joining ERP. Membership will be limited to avoid ERP establishing a dominant position.
ERP also announced the appointment of CCR and Geodis as general contractors. The firms will manage all operational activities on behalf of the ERP’€™s founders and members, including take-back, logistics, recycling and all necessary administrative work to ensure full compliance with the WEEE Directive. CCR remit will initially cover Austria, Germany, Italy and Poland while Geodis will take care of France, Spain, Portugal, the UK and Ireland.