With the dust of the WEEE recast negotiations having settled, the focus of attention is now shifting to the transposition of the new Directive into national law. The 41 WEEE producer responsibility organisations of the WEEE Forum are looking forward to offering their support and know-how in that process. Our conference in London in September is a great opportunity to share experiences (see III).
2012 is also the year when the WEEELABEX project comes to an end. A set of requirements for collection, handling, storage, transport, preparation for re-use and treatment of WEEE was adopted last year; this year, we will continue building the WEEELABEX house. Find out more at the WEEELABEX event in Brussels next month (see I).
And last but not least, we are pleased to announce a recent positive evaluation by the European Commission of a multi-party project that aims at countering illegal WEEE trade through mapping WEEE destinations and routes, crime related activities involved and improved enforcement (see IV).
Pascal Leroy
Secretary General


I. WEEELABEX Testimonials

In the context of the 20th Anniversary of the LIFE programme, the WEEE Forum has scheduled a ‘WEEELABEX Testimonials’ day in Brussels on Monday 21 May 2012, in the afternoon. Innovative recyclers, WEEE producer responsibility organisations, producers, enforcement agencies and NGOs with a global scope will report how WEEELABEX is taking their business to the next level. Any interested person keen to learn how WEEELABEX will affect his/her business can attend the event, subject to registration with magdalena.charytanowicz@weee-forum.organd/or pascal.leroy@weee-forum.org. To learn more about the programme and the speakers please consult the conference website.

 

II. Three organisations join the WEEE Forum

In the past couple of months three non-profit WEEE compliance schemes operated on behalf of producers joined the WEEE Forum. This brings the total membership of the WEEE Forum to 41. Fotokiklosi is a WEEE system with operations in Greece. 52 manufacturers and importers of lighting fixtures and lamps set it up in 2005. Fotokiklosi takes back WEEE from collection points across the Greek territory. By the end of 2010 the system collected and recycled 30t of lamps and 160t of lighting fittings. It is expected that those figures will be 100t and 200t respectively in 2011. The organisation runs a programme to inform schools and organisations about recycling and the dangers of mercury. Fundación Recicla Canaria, with operations in the Canary Islands, which form one comunidad autónoma of the Kingdom of Spain, is a WEEE system set up in 2009 by 32 toy makers based on the islands. The organisation is financed by a fee levied on producers proportionate to the quantities marketed every year. Recicla Canaria is operating 91 WEEE collection points. ASEKOL SK is a limited liability WEEE system with operations in Slovakia. It was founded in 2010 by ASEKOL, a Czech organisation that joined the WEEE Forum in the mid-2000s. 28 producers are currently members of ASEKOL SK. For more information, contact pascal.leroy@weee-forum.org.

 

III. WEEE Forum Conference 2012: a look at WEEE in the social environment
As national governments across Europe begin the process of transposing the revised Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive into national law, this year’s WEEE Forum Conference will take a closer look at the wider social implications on the industry. Hosted by Repic, the UK’s largest WEEE producer compliance scheme, the conference will this year take place in London on 20-21 September 2012. It will provide a platform for discussion and sharing of knowledge and best practice. In particular, the conference will focus on three key areas: Employment, Environment and the Economy, and how all three can be sustainably developed. Other important aspects of the WEEE regime, including illegal WEEE shipments, critical rare earths and the future of producer responsibility, will be also debated.
More news will follow in next month's edition of 'Eye on WEEE'.
For more information, contact magdalena.charytanowicz@weee-forum.org or pascal.leroy@weee-forum.org.

 


 IV. Countering WEEE Illegal Trade

The WEEE Forum, as a partner in the CWIT (Countering WEEE Illegal Trade) consortium, is pleased to announce a recent positive evaluation by the European Commission of the CWIT project proposal. The project answers the call for proposals under the 7th Framework Program for Research and Technological Development, Topic SEC 2012.1.5-2 (Identification of measures to counter illegal export of metal bearing waste) the aim of which is to analyse crime related activities concerning illegal export of metal bearing, in particular electric and electronic equipment waste (WEEE). The CWIT project has a proposed budget of €2,030,345 and will have 24 month duration.
The CWIT project will have a number of key themes firstly to examine the volume of WEEE in Europe and the amounts inappropriately disposed of. This will enable the project team to develop an understanding of the destinations and routes used to carry illegal shipments. Secondly, the project partners will focus on analysing criminal activity and crime types associated with illegal e-waste shipments, drawing on other work being carried out targeting illegal e-waste exports on an international scale. Thirdly, this research will be made available to the national agencies across Europe and improve enforcement and aid the study of the involvement of organized crime in the global distribution of WEEE.
The WEEE Forum will produce an overview of the European WEEE industries and the relevant stakeholders who are developed around these industries with a high focus on the end-users involved in the fight against the illegal trade of WEEE. In addition to the mapping of all the relevant stakeholders, an analysis of the distribution of WEEE will be performed. Finally, existing initiatives, projects, and studies will be gathered and analysed.
The CWIT project partners are: WEEE Forum, IB Consultancy, United Nations University (UNU), Zanasi & Partners, Compliance & Risks, Cross Border Research Association (CBRA), Science Applications International Cooperation (SAIC), United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
For further information, please contact therese.shryane@weee-forum.org, scientific coordinator of the CWIT project.