A report published by an association led by the United Nations University (UNU) indicates that the European Union's e-waste recycling rate is far from its target. The report also calls for increased e-waste recycling rates to not only protect the environment but also benefit the electronics industry itself.
The report points out that currently only 25% of medium-sized household appliances and 40% of large appliances in Europe are recycled or reused, while the recycling rate for small appliances is almost zero. Ruediger Kuehr of UNU's Bonn office in Germany criticized, "This means there is still a lot of room for improvement."
Kuehr called for a long-term target of 60% recycling for small electronic products such as MP3 players, as well as medium-sized audio equipment, microwave ovens, and televisions. For large appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines, the target should be as high as 75%. This would allow for the recycling of 5.3 million metric tons of electronic waste by 2011, double the original target of 220 metric tons.
While the growth rate of e-waste is not fast, it has maintained an annual growth rate of 2.5% to 2.7%. A UNU report estimates that by 2020, the total amount of e-waste in EU countries will reach 12.3 million metric tons, accounting for one-third of the global e-waste.
Although the EU's WEEE directive mandates a recycling rate of 4 kg of electronic waste per person per year, recycling rates vary significantly among EU member states. Wealthier countries typically achieve this goal easily, but some newer EU member states—particularly those with lower living standards—fall far short. However, the report also points out that a lack of public awareness about recycling electronic waste is another contributing factor to the low recycling rates.
Jaco Huisman, the lead author of the report from UNU, stated that recycling and reusing electronic waste will bring significant benefits to the Earth's environment, including reducing toxic pollution, protecting natural resources, and preventing global warming; most importantly, it can effectively control chlorofluorocarbons, chemicals that damage the Earth's ozone layer. Furthermore, recycling electronic waste can also help reduce energy consumption.
The report also pointed out the downsides of the popular energy-saving light bulbs, noting that in 2006, 660 million energy-saving light bulbs sold in the EU contained 4.3 metric tons of highly toxic mercury; while LCD panels contained 2.8 metric tons of mercury.
The report also calls for the EU to establish consistent legislation regarding the declaration of electronic waste. The inconsistent regulations across EU member states are a major reason why SMEs are unable to effectively comply with EU standards – currently, manufacturers selling products in each EU member state must submit 72 different reports.
- Reference source: Global Sources, Electronic Engineering Times, 2007-11-30
