Environmental Consultancy

WEEE and RoHS Directives Overview

in 2003, the European Comission introduced two directives (WEEE and RoHs) governing the recycling and disposal of electronic and electrical equipment. These directives are based on the premise of producer responsibility. The specific responsibilities with regard to registration and reporting on WEEE and RoHs differ between juristictions, but are applicable to all countries of the EU.

Global Answers WEEE/RoHS Services

GlobalAnswers has significant experience with Pan European WEEE/RoHS compliance for all the EU countries + Norway & Switzerland. GlobalAnswers provide services and advice to International and Irish based companies wishing to become legally compliant for WEEE.

  • Significant International experience.
  • Solutions provided for blue chip multinational organizations.
  • Pan European Expertise in WEEE & RoHS.
  • Full life cycle covered.
  • Clarification of producer obligation (direct sales/distributor/reseller responsibility).
  • Clarification of product categorization.
  • Registration with government bodies.
  • Recommending a suitable fit with, and obtaining membership of compliance schemes/programs/guarantee schemes.
  • WEEE reporting & declarations on a Pan-European basis.

 EC Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

Based on the premise that thhe produces is responsible, and that improved product design can better facilitate recycling and disposal of end-of-life products, the key aims of the WEEE Directive are to:

  • Reduce WEEE disposal to landfill
  • Provide for a free producer take-back scheme for consumers of end-of-life equipment from 13 August 2005
  • Improve product design with a view to both preventing WEEE and to increasing its recoverability, reusability and/or recyclability
  • Achieve specified targets for recovery, reuse and recycling of different classes of WEEE
  • Provide for the establishment of collection facilities and separate collection systems for WEEE from private households
  • Provide for the establishment and financing by producers of systems for the recovery and treatment of WEEE, including provisions for placing financial guarantees on new products placed on the market

EC Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)

The purpose of the RoHS Directive is to minimise waste arising from hazardous substances by restricting the use of certain hazardous materials, including heavy metals in electrical and electronic equipment.

The RoHS Directive provides that new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market after 1 July 2006 cannot, other than permitted trace levels, contain lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).