Environmental Data Centre on Waste

WEEE collection Rate, kg per capita

 

 

 

 

 

As a rapidly growing waste stream it is of great importance that recycling rates improve in order to reduce disposal through common routes such as landfill and incineration.

 

The map below shows the amounts of WEEE collected from private households for 2008 in kg per capita.

 

Please click on the map to increase the image!

 

For additional data and statistics on the collection and treatment of WEEE  (in tonnes and in kg/capita) and on the achieved recovery, recycling and reuse rates (in %) please click the following link.

 

For your convenience the tables  according to  Commission Decison 2005/369/EC on WEEE  are re-produced  (please click on the links below)

 

 

	Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) (env_waselee)
Table 1:
	Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) collected and exported
Table 2:
	Recovery, recycling and reuse, targets

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is currently considered to be one of the fastest-growing waste streams. The EU WEEE Directive strongly focuses on producer responsibility as a key policy mechanism for reducing the quantity of WEEE going to end disposal treatment facilities.

 

Keeping a close interest in WEEE recycling is important considering the hazardous substances contained in many of the products in this waste stream, and that currently a large quantity of waste is being sent to third world countries where workers can be subjected to these substances in unregulated recycling operations.

The EU WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC) currently sets a minimum collection target of 4 kg per annum per inhabitant for WEEE from households.

 

A proposal has currently been submitted to alter the collection target from 4 kg per annum per inhabitant to a 65 % collection rate, calculated according to the average amount of WEEE placed on the market in the two preceding years. In addition, in order to encourage the re-use of whole appliances, it is proposed that such re-use be included within the 65 % target.

 

Use of hazardous substances in WEEE is restricted by the Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) (Directive 2002/95/EC). It also requires heavy metals (for example lead, mercury and cadmium) and flame retardants (for example polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl (PBDE)) to be substituted. (See Hazardous page)

 

More studies on WEEE can be found under the following link

• European Commission (WEEE)
• Eionet (WEEE)
• WEEE Forum