The WEEE and ROHS Directives

1
The WEEE and ROHS Directives

• Recycling Policy Unit
• Sustainable Development
• DTI

2
WEEE - THE OBJECTIVES

• A producer responsibility Directive aimed at
• reducing Electrical waste, increasing recovery
  and recycling and minimising environmental impact
• improving environmental performance of all
  operators involved in the life cycle of EEE

3
WEEE ROHS - the History

• 10 years of debate
• Wide differences of view
• Commission proposal Summer 2000
• DTI Consultation commenced
• Consultation published Dec 2000
• Agreement to Common Position June 2001
• Common position adopted Dec 2001
• Conciliation procedure Aug 2002 Oct 2002
• Publication in OJ 27 Jan 2003

4
Producer a definition

• producer means any person who, irrespective of
  selling technique used, including by means of
  distance communication ..
• 1. Manufactures and sells his own brand
• 2. Resells under his own brand
• 3. Imports or exports

5
What is Covered?

• All equipment dependent on electrical currents or
  electromagnetic fields
• 10 indicative categories large Household, small
  household, IT and Telecoms., consumer equipment,
  lighting equipment, electrical and electronic
  tools, toys leisure sports, medical devices,
  monitoring, auto disp.

6
WEEE Directive - requirements

• Separate collection of WEEE (4kg)
• Treatment according to standards
• Recovery recycling - set targets
• Producer pays from collection onwards (not B2B)
• Option for business users to pay some or all of
  costs B2B text to be clarified
• Retailers to offer take-back
• Consumers to return WEEE free of charge

7
Timetable

• Conciliation ends - October 2002
• Publication 27 January 2003
• Directives commence 27 July 2004
• Producer Responsibility 27 July 2005
• Meet collection target 31 Dec 2006
• Meet recycling targets 31 Dec 2006

8
ROHS Directive

• Seeks to reduce the environmental impact of WEEE
  by restricting the use of certain hazardous
  substances during manufacture
• Complementary to the WEEE Directive

9
What is covered?

• All products in the WEEE Directive except
• medical equipment and monitoring and control
  equipment
• From July 2006, the following are banned - lead,
  mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium,
  polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated
  diphenyl ethers

10
Where next?

• As much informal consultation as possible
• Raising awareness
• Develop initial implementation options
• Formally consult on front runners
• Seeking to minimise differences with other member
  States

11
Preparation for implementation (1)

• Government Departments in regular contact with
  industry about the proposed Directive and its
  implementation
• DEFRA, DTI and the Environment Agency meet
  regularly to discuss implementation of the
  Directive. Also in touch with colleagues in the
  Devolved Administrations
• cont

12
Preparation for implementation (2)

• DEFRA hosting a series of meetings with Local
  Authority representatives
• DTI hosting a series of meetings with retailers
  and manufacturers
• Meetings with the waste management industry began
  in September
• These events!