Europe tightens waste rules

The European Parliament has approved a "recast" of the WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) Directive, which will allow freer movement of electronic waste between member states as well as impose mandatory waste take-back rules.

Under the new proposals, member states will have to collect 45 tonnes of WEEE for every 100 tonnes of goods sold on the market in the three previous years from 2016. This will rise to 65 tonnes for every 100 tonnes sold from 2019.

Consumers will be able to return small WEEE items to an electrical retailer, with a shop space of 400sq metres or larger, free of charge.

Exporters of waste will have responsibility for ensuring that any used goods shipped abroad are going for repairs rather than ending up as waste, to reduce the illegal trade in exporting electronic waste to developing countries that have neither the infrastructure nor the worker protections in place to deal with it.

Rapporteur Karl-Heinz Florenz said: "After difficult negotiations I am very satisfied that we have agreed ambitious but achievable collection rates with Council. Europe will now recover more raw materials, which is excellent news both for the economy and the environment."

Industry expressed concern at the new rules, saying they could add to administrative burdens, and that the take-back plans could force retailers to become collection points by default.

Christian Verschueren, EuroCommerce's director general, said: "Our concern is that shops will eventually turn into collection points and that distributors will take on responsibilities which rightly lie in the hands of producers and municipalities."

"We therefore particularly welcome the provision, whereby existing alternative schemes for collection must be maintained, not duplicated."

"Nevertheless, there is still major concern about the long-term implications on the commerce sector of the new mandatory take-back of small volume WEEE by retailers."

Before it becomes law, the updated directive has to be approved by the Council of Ministers. Member states will then have 18 months to comply with the changes.