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 the 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. Classified 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 electronic and electrical equipment before they are allowed to be recycled.
3. Collection Rate:
Member States are required to meet minimum recycling rates annually. 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. Recovered goals:
The new directive here divides the achievement of the goals into three stages. Each member state must ensure that producers meet the minimum targets set in Annex V after August 15, 2018. Take the second category of small household appliances, Category 5 of the new directive, as an example, including music equipment, toys, leisure and sports equipment (the appearance size does not exceed 50 cm).
- The first stage: From the effective date of the directive (August 13, 2012) to 3 years later (August 14, 2015), the recycle rate should reach 50%, and the recovery rate should reach 70%.
- Phase II: From August 15, 2015 to 3 years later (August 14, 2018), the re-use and reuse rate should reach 55%, and the regeneration rate should reach 75%.
- The third phase: Starting from August 15, 2018, the reuse and reuse rate should reach 55%, and the recycling rate should reach 75%.
5. The new directive clearly lists the transportation requirements to Europe in Annex 6.
