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What is WEEE?

What does WEEE require affected companies to do?

Are other countries enacting legislation similar to WEEE?

Are there WEEE exemptions?

Q: What is WEEE?
A: The WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive deals with the recovery, sorting, treatment and recycling of electrical and electronic waste products when they reach end of life. The aim is to reduce the very large quantity of electrical waste that goes to land-fill in Europe every year. It does this by making equipment producers responsible for financing the end of life costs.

Q: What does WEEE require affected companies to do?
A: By August 13, 2005, companies placing electric or electronic equipment onto the market in the European Union must mark new products with a durable standard marking or label to indicate separate collection of the device at the end of its useful life and also be prepared to take back and recycle these products. The WEEE Directive also sets target levels for recycling of electrical and electronic equipment that must be met by December 31, 2006. Equipment producers will be obliged to register with the authorities in the EU member States in which they operate and they will be obliged to collect and recycle waste equipment. Most producers will meet their obligations by joining compliance schemes which are being set up by waste companies and trade associations in all Member States.

Q: Are other countries enacting legislation similar to WEEE?
A: Yes. Many countries worldwide and some North American States have “WEEE” type legislation. Taiwan, South Korea and Japan were the first and China has announced its intention to introduce similar legislation. In North America, the state of California has passed SB 20 and SB 50, which has a number of requirements, such as the involvement of sellers of certain types of electronic equipment in the collection of recycling fees from purchasers at the time of sale.

Q: Are there WEEE exemptions?
A: There are no WEEE exemptions but some products are outside of the scope of WEEE - if they are not in the 10 categories listed in the Annex of the Directive.