The revised version of the 2012/19/EU Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive (WEEE (recast)) was published in the official journal of the European Union on July 24, 2012. The revised version of the WEEE Directive will officially come into effect 20 days after the announcement. Each EU member state must turn it into domestic law before February 14, 2014. The relevant revisions are as follows: 1. Scope of control: The revised version of the WEEE Directive plans to reclassify electronic and electrical equipment into six categories (Annex 3) starting from August 15, 2018. During the transition period from August 13, 2012 to August 14, 2018, the product types and scope of its specifications remain the same as the original WEEE Directive. The revised WEEE Directive covers all types of electrical and electronic equipment (except for exclusive applications listed in Article 2 (3) and (4) of the Directive). In addition, a new item of solar panels has been added to Category 4 in Annex 2. 2. Sorted collection: Dealers should provide free sorted recycling for small electronic and electrical products (external dimensions not exceeding 25 cm) near the point of sale or in retail stores. In addition, consumers are not obliged to purchase the same type of electrical and electronic equipment. Allowed for recycling. 3. Collection Rate: Member states must meet a minimum collection rate every year. Four years from the year the new directive comes into effect, the minimum recycling rate will be 45%. After another three years, the total amount of electronic and electrical equipment sold on the market should reach 65%, or the domestic recycling of electronic and electrical equipment by members should reach 85%. 4. Recycle
