WEEE Directive
WEEE regulations will vary from country to country
The WEEE Directive, which was adopted by the European Commission in 2003, requires that manufacturers be responsible for the collection, treatment, and recycling of WEEE and that they bear the associated costs. The WEEE Directive requires manufacturers to be responsible for the collection, treatment and recycling of WEEE and to bear the associated costs, and that the organization handling the WEEE should be licensed by the competent authority. Unlike the ROHS Directive, which is based on the Single Market Clause, this Directive establishes minimum standards, which means that the process of transposing the WEEE Directive into national law will vary from country to country, and that some countries may go beyond the current WEEE Directive limits. Directive Requirements:
The WEEE Directive requires that by August 13, 2005 (now delayed to January 1, 2006), producers have systems in place to recycle free of charge end-user electrical and electronic waste, and by 2006 the average collection target is required to reach 4 kilograms/year/person, and by December 31, 2008, the EU will set a new collection/recycling/reuse targets.
In order to be able to distinguish between "historical waste" and "new end-of-life products", the Directive stipulates that electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) placed on the market after August 1, 2005 must be clearly marked: the name of the manufacturer ("producer identification mark"). "Producer's identification mark") as well as indicating that the product was placed on the market after August 13, 2005. To this end, the Commission should promote the development of European standards Since August 13, 2005, WEEE needs to be marked with a cross* on a wheeled garbage can to show that end-of-life products cannot be disposed of as unsorted municipal waste.
But when should producers mark their products as having been placed on the market after August 13, 2005? Some countries have regulatory requirements for marking by Aug. 13, 2005, expert David said. In Austria, electrical and electronic equipment still in warehouses on August 13, 2005, did not need to be marked; in Germany, there was a grace period until March 24, 2006, he said. In Germany, there is a grace period until March 24, 2006, while many other countries have yet to introduce regulations.
David believes that business to customer (B2C) goods should be marked as soon as possible, in order to avoid the problems associated with exporting goods to countries that require August 13, 2005 marking. -- This does not affect the calculation of the size of the liability, as the market share is determined by the data submitted by the producer, not by the certified and marked WEEE.
In most countries, end-users are liable for business-to-business WEEE until August 13, 2005, so producers must be careful about marking their products early on.Scope of exemptions from the WEEE Directive:
1. Equipment used for the protection of national security and having a military application, such as weapons, munitions, and war material;
2. .domestic floodlights; 3. thin filament light bulbs; 4. large fixed industrial apparatus;
5. medical products in the end-of-life phase, implanted and infected;
6. components belonging to other types of products are also exempted from the scope of the Directive; what manufacturers need to do
According to the recommendations of the specialized agencies, under the WEEE Directive, manufacturers need to do the following. The following:
I. Register with the designated environmental authorities;
II. Prepare data on the quantity and type of electrical and electronic equipment to be placed in the exporting country;
III. Ensure that their products have been labeled with the correct symbols to enable reuse and recycling of the products in accordance with the specified requirements;
IV. Pay a fee in accordance with the market share of their products in the exporting country. Payment in accordance with the market share of their products in the exporting country;
v. Ensure that information is available on the reuse and other disposal of their products at the end-of-life stage.