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What are the WEEE and RoHS Directives? / Summary of Legislation


Summary of Legislation

WEEE

In 1998 the European Union generated 915,000 tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment waste and this volume is rising between 3-5% per annum. After over 10 years of debate the WEEE and RoHS Directives are becoming a reality. The impact on the way manufacturers design, produce and dispose of their products will be huge.

WEEE is Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment. The directive will control the disposal of equipment and the percentage going to landfill.

The WEEE Directive is one part of a much larger policy mechanism within the EU that is aimed at introducing producer responsibility. This makes producers of electrical and electronic equipment legally responsible for the recovery and recycling of their products when they are finally disposed of.

It became law in the UK on the 2nd January 2007. Most other EU Member States introduced the legislation earlier than this.

The WEEE Directive specifies 10 categories of types of electrical and electronic equipment. Different categories have different recycling and recovery targets. All recycling and recovery targets are based on a percentage of total product weight.

Although there is lots of specific detail within the WEEE Directive its broad aim is to reduce electrical and electronic waste, increase recovery and recycling of electrical and electronic waste and minimise the life cycle environmental impact of the electrical and electronic equipment sector.

Basic Aims of WEEE

  • Separate collection of WEEE (4kg per head of population)
  • Treatment according to standards
  • Recovery and recycling - set targets
  • Producer pays from collection onwards (retail)
  • Option for business users to pay some or all of costs
  • Retailers to offer take-back
  • Consumers to return WEEE free of charge

By introducing guidelines and requirements such as the provision of information for recycling and the designing of products to aid reuse, recovery and recycling it aims to improve the environmental performance of all operators involved in the life cycle of WEEE, i.e. Producers, customers and recyclers.

Copy of the EU WEEE Directive Text   Copy of the EU WEEE Directive Text
 
Copy of the UK WEEE Directive Text   Copy of the UK WEEE Directive Text

RoHS Directive

The ROHS Directive compliments the WEEE directive and aims to protect human health and the environment through the restricted use of certain hazardous substances.

It became law across the whole of the European Economic Area (EEA) including the UK on 1st July 2006.

The Directive will affect manufacturers, sellers, distributors and recyclers of electrical and electronic equipment containing lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls or polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Manufacturers and importers will need to ensure that their products - and their components - comply in order to sell in the EEA. If they do not, they may be forced to withdraw them.

Basic Aims of RoHS

From July 2006, the following substances are restricted:

  • Lead
  • Mercury
  • Cadmium
  • Hexavalent Chromium
  • Polybrominated Biphenyls and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers

It covers household luminaires, lightbulbs and all products in the WEEE Directive except:

  • Medical equipment
  • Monitoring and control equipment

There are a number of specific technical exemptions to the legislation exist.

Copy of the EU RoHS Directive Text   Copy of the EU RoHS Directive Text
     
Copy of the UK RoHS Regulations - SI 2006 -1463   Copy of the EU RoHS Directive Text