European Parliament backs 85% WEEE goal
24th June 2010
The UK could need to collect 85% of waste electrical and electronic equipment by 2016, after proposals for a higher collection target than the 65% originally proposed under the recast of the EU WEEE Directive were backed by the European Parliament on June 22nd 2010.
At the start of the recast process, the European Commission had proposed the replacement of the current weight-based target faced by member states - which the UK has easily met since its WEEE system came into force in 2007 - with a 65% target from 2016. Parliament went on to say “MEPs emphasise that targets should be based on real waste because old goods are often stored or given away, rather than thrown away."
MEP adopted a number of other proposals, which included:
A "simpler" system of six categories of WEEE, replacing the current 10, with goals for between 70% and 85% of WEEE to be recovered and between 50% and 75% to be recycled, depending on category; A call for reusable equipment to be kept separate from other electronic waste, and for a 5% reuse target to apply to certain categories of equipment "Tougher" inspections on exported waste to ensure only reusable equipment is sent to developing countries; Creating an obligation for retailers to accept small WEEE that is handed into them.
Read full article at http://www.letsrecycle.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=37&listcatid=217&listitemid=55664§ion=legislation
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