EU Publishes New Directive on WEEE

The European Union’s (EU) new directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) will be phased in, and the old directive repealed, as of February 15, 2014. Directive 2012/19/EU seeks to contribute to sustainable production and consumption through reuse, recycling, and other forms of recovery to reduce the disposal of waste and to retrieve valuable secondary raw materials. It also seeks to improve the environmental performance of all operators involved in the life cycle of EEE. Recognizing that different national policies on the management of WEEE hinder effectiveness, Union-level standards should be set and minimum standards for the treatment of WEEE should be developed.

Equipment that falls under the new Directive includes: large and small household appliances; information technology and telecommunications equipment; consumer equipment; lighting equipment; photovoltaic panels; electrical and electronic tools; toys, leisure, and sports equipment; medical devices; monitoring and control instruments; and automatic dispensers.