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Even though the European Union’s (EU’s) Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive (WEEE) was first introduced in 1998 and came into force in 2003, many companies are still confused about its requirements. This is caused in large part because it is being implemented by each EU member state according to a different timetable—and often in different ways.
To help companies better comply with WEEE, the British Standards Institution (BSI) released Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment: International Survey this October. The guide breaks down the directive’s requirements in each EU member state, including the requirements for manufacturers, importers and exporters of electrical and electronic equipment; the actual legislation in each country that is being used to put the directive into practice; and information about recycling organizations and permits, fees, reporting, penalties, and collection points.
“If you’re importing into the European Union into a number of different countries, you’ll find that the requirement is different in every single country,” says Dan Palmer, head of market development at BSI. “So it is quite a complex area, and what this product does is set out the requirements in every country.”
One area of confusion has to do with the definition of the producer—the organization that manufactures and/or sells the products covered by the directive. While it is clear that producers are responsible for collecting and recycling their products, the concept of producer can change from country to country.
“Each country has introduced its own legislation and some of the definitions of producer are slightly different, so we have a section on exactly what the requirements are for producers in each country, and that starts out by identifying exactly who is regarded as a producer in each country,” says Palmer.
In addition, while the EU had required its member states to put the directive into law by August 13, 2004, several countries were given extended deadlines, while another country, the United Kingdom, missed its deadline and did not introduce the legislation until this year. That means that companies selling into the EU may or may not be affected yet by WEEE, but it is up to them to stay on top of the different timetables.
Despite these various deadlines, all products covered by the directive and put on the market after August 13, 2005, are required to be marked with their producers’ names and the symbol that shows compliance with WEEE—a crossed-out trash can on wheels. BSI standard BS EN 50419:2005 describes exactly how and where producers should mark their products.
Because the directive is still in flux in many countries, BSI plans on issuing updates of its WEEE guide three times a year. The first set of updates will be included with the guide; after that, people who want additional updates will need to purchase a subscription.
Even in this changing landscape, BSI’s WEEE guide can make a difference, says Palmer. “Before you start engaging consultants, you should probably have a look at this sort of information to see if you actually need a consultant’s help or to see whether it’s something you can tackle yourself. This really provides a clear explanation of what the WEEE directive means to producers, distributors, and importers.”