Proposals to introduce a new 85% collection target for waste electronics and to make producers and retailers responsible for funding the collection of the waste stream directly from households were backed by the European Parliament today (February 3).

A full plenary session of the Parliament in Brussels voted 580 to 37 in favour of the proposals, which were made in a report prepared by MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz, the man responsible for steering the recast of the EU WEEE Directive through the European legislative process. There were 22 abstentions.

Mr Florenz’s report, and the amendments to it which were tabled in the period since it was first considered by the Parliament’s environment committee in draft form in February 2010, feature a range of proposals, many significantly different to those in the European Commission’s original recast proposals.

Among the key changes backed by the Parliament today are to move from the current weight-based target for WEEE collection, that the UK has easily met, to a percentage-based goal, with member states expected to collect 85% of all WEEE generated by 2016.

This represents a significant change from the 65% target originally proposed by the Commission, which was to be calculated as a proportion of the amount of new electrical equipment put onto the market.

While this 65% target is seen as challenging for the UK (see letsrecycle.com story), some in the sector have questioned just how taxing the Parliament’s proposed target will be, noting it will be dependent on exactly what the final recast document defines as WEEE.

Collection from households

Today’s vote also saw the Parliament back moves to make producers, retailers and consumers responsible for funding the collection of WEEE from households, a significant change from the current system, whereby producers only pay for the collection, treatment and recycling of WEEE from collection points.

The change, which was made in amendment 47 of Mr Florenz’s report, is likely to be welcomed by the Local Government Association, which believes it is necessary to boost traditionally low collection level for small household WEEE.

The report notes that the actual rules for calculating the cost of collection will be laid down by individual member states.

But, it is likely to be draw opposition by producers and retailers, who could see their costs increase, and consumers, who could see the cost of collection passed on to them.

Measures

Other changes endorsed today include:

• Requiring between 50% and 75%, depending on the type of material, of WEEE collected to actually be recycled;
  
• Introducing a new 5% reuse target;
  
• Reducing the number of WEEE categories
  
• Standardising registration and reporting for producers, a move the Parliament claimed would reduce their administrative burden and costs;
  
• Allowing consumers to return “very small” WEEE directly to retailers.

Mr Florenz said: “We can no longer afford to waste our waste. Parliament has sent a strong message that public authorities, manufacturers and consumers all need to play their part to ensure we collect and recycle more of our electrical and electronic goods. We have also set out stricter rules to stop potentially harmful waste being illegally shipped to developing countries.”

Full text

The full text adopted by the Parliament today is expected to be made available in the next couple of days. Under the European legislative procedure known as comitology, it will then go to the European Council.

A spokesman for the Parliament said the council, which brings together Europe’s environment ministers, was then expected to adopt a common position on the recast at its March 14 meeting.

It will then head back to the European Parliament for a second reading, although the spokesman said it was unlikely this reading would take place before the Parliament’s summer break.

EEB

Today’s vote was welcomed by campaign group the European Environmental Bureau, whose senior waste policy officer, Stephane Arditi, hailed the “ambitious” collection target, standards on WEEE management and financial incentives for eco-design endorsed by the Parliament.

He said this meant “the European Parliament has grasped the important potentials of the WEEE legislation to change our e-waste management from pure end of pipe solutions to a more integrated approach on resources efficiency.”