E Waste: Whats Happening in Europe

1

• E- Waste Whats Happening in Europe
• Zandy Tibballs
• Metropolitan Waste Management Group
• 16 December 2009 AWARE E-waste Tour
• Boroondara Transfer Station

2
Overview

• European approach to managing Product Wastes
• Impacts of EUs Integrated Product Policy
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
• What is EPR
• Its effects and opportunities
• Electronic and Electrical Waste (E-Waste) in
  Europe
• Summary
• References

3
European Union (EU) Approach

• Provision of a strong regulatory environment
• Development of an integrated product policy
  approach treaty of Amsterdam, 1997
• A whole lifecycle approach to managing impacts of
  products from product design through to end of
  life (EOL)

4
Impacts of the EUs Integrated Product Policy

• Recognition
• Products (consumerism) were the main cause of
  pollution and wastes
• Responsibility for collection of EOL product
  wastes should lie with producers/manufacturers
• Result
• A polluter pays principal through legislative
  or tax mechanisms was able to be enforced by the
  EU on signatory countries
• EPR policies introduced - enforcing producers and
  manufacturers to take responsibility for their
  product waste

 
5
Extended Producer Responsibility

• What is EPR?
• A tool/policy/mechanism for
• Reducing product wastes their environmental
  impacts at EOL
• Producers/manufacturers to take back and
  recover their products
• Shifting the waste management problem and costs
  from the public/tax payer and local/state govt
  onto the producer and the consumer

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How Its Implemented

• Usually, in the form of
• EOL product take-back schemes with set targets
• Voluntary agreements or covenants with industry
  to achieve targets
• Economic instruments such as deposit/refund
  schemes (beverage containers or mobile phones)
• Product disposal charges
• Environmental labelling requirements
• Environmental procurement programs
• Minimum recycled content requirements

7
EPR Its Flow On Effects

• Changing how products are designed, produced and
  disposed
• Design specifications energy efficient,
  recyclability, disassembly, toxic-free materials
• Cleaner production strategies
• Take-back schemes for repair, refurbishing or
  recycling

What is good for the environment is good for
business. Graham Cavanagh-Downs, Director,
Manufacturing and Supply, Fuji Xerox, Australia
P/L,1998
8
EPR Opportunities

• Companies investing heavily in new processes,
  systems, production technologies and design
  methods.

• Why?
• Improve market positioning and market image
• New business paradigm / growth opportunity
• Seen to act responsibly
• Avoid the risk of fines, penalties or higher
  taxes
• Develop and strengthen technical competencies
• Influence the direction of regulations/legislation
  
• Save money and use raw materials more efficiently

(Sources Gertsakis et al, 1998 Glover, 2006)
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In Managing E-Waste

• The EU its member states are taking measures
  to
• Prevent the generation of electrical and
  electronic waste
• Promote the reuse, recycling and other forms of
  recovery of e-waste
• Improve the environmental performance of
  operators involved in the industry
• Restrict the use of hazardous substances in this
  type of equipment.

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E-Waste Categories

• Directives introduced in 2002 (WEEE) 2003 (use
  of hazardous materials) covering the following
  e-waste categories

• Large and small household
• appliances
• IT and telecommunications equipment
• Lighting equipment
• Toys, leisure and sports equipment

7m
WEEE Man -amount of waste electrical and
electronic products thrown away by an average UK
citizen in a lifetime 3t
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E-Waste Categories (ctd)

• Medical devices (with the exception of implanted
  and infected products)
• Monitoring and control instruments
• Automatic dispensers
• Electrical and electronic tools (with the
  exception of large-scale stationary industrial
  tools)

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Content of Directives

• Product design
• Separate collection from Aug 2005,2006,2008
• Treatment
• Recovery targets of 70 -75 by 2006. Revise in
  2008
• Financing from 2005
• Information from 2005
• Reporting and penalties first2004-2006 period
• Use of certain hazardous materials from 2006

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In Summary

• EPR works in a strong regulatory environment
• Shifts the responsibility onto producers,
  retailers and their customers
• Promotes sustainability principles
• Creates new business opportunities, and
• Reduces waste to landfill

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Further Information

• Environment Victorias website www.envict.org.au
  
• View Electronic Waste and Producer Responsibility
  pages
• Europa website http//europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/s
  15002.htm
• WEEE Man http//www.weeeman.org
• Gertsakis, J., Morelli, N., Ryan, C., Return
  to Sender - An Introduction to Extended Producer
  Responsibility, Centre for Design-RMIT,
  August1998
• Van Rossem,C et al, EPR An Examination Of Its
  impact On Innovation and Greening Products, The
  Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics,
  Report Commissioned by Greenpeace International,
  Friends of The Earth Europe and the European
  Environmental Bureau, http//www.envict.org.au/fil
  e/EPR-Eco-Design-280906.pdf

Email zandy.tibballs_at_mwmg.vic.gov.au Phone
8698 9809 Thankyou