OVERVIEW OF THE LAW

There are two European Union Directives WEEE Directive No 2002/96/EC and 2003/108/EC relating to electrical and electronic equipment waste, one seeks to prevent the creation of electrical and electronic equipment waste and encourages its recycling and recovery; whilst the other restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and encourages environmentally sound recovery and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment waste. Their aim is to provide an incentive for producers to design environmentally more efficient electrical and electronic equipment by making the producers responsible for the waste management of their product and requiring them to take back and recycle electrical and electronic equipment at no additional cost to the consumer. This requires manufacturers to recover and recycle electrical and electronic equipment, which would reduce the potential amount to be sent for final disposal at landfill sites or incineration without processing. To prevent the generation of hazardous waste, producers are required to substitute various hazardous substances like heavy metals, hexavalent chromium and brominated flame retardants in new electrical and electronic equipment.

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• Electrical and Electronic Equipment Waste
• Hazardous Substance in Electrical and Electronic Equipment
• What is the requirement of Law?
• When will the Law become applicable to you?
• What happens if you don’t obey the Law?
• Practical Steps