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WEEE

Fridges, fans, small and large household appliances, televisions, computers, audio/photo/video devices, energy saving light bulbs, electronic games and electric tools are all equipment present in all the activities of our day to day lives which depend on electrical currents or electro-magnetic fields in order to function.

Once they have reached the end of their life-cycle they become waste identified with the acronym WEEE:

Waste electrical and electronic equipment.

The subject of WEEE is legislated on a national level by the Legislative Decree 151 of 2005 the aim of which is to improve, under the environmental profile, the actions of those who carry out an active role in the life-cycle of electrical and electronic products: from producers to users, passing through players in the distribution sector, to recycling operators.

F.A.Q. WEEE

What do we mean by “WEEE”?

The term WEEE indicates all the electrical and electronic equipment considered waste or rather the objects the holder is getting rid of, or has decided or is obliged to get rid of, including all the components, the sub-systems and the consumer materials which are an integral part of the product at the moment the decision to get rid of it is taken.

Who does the legislation apply to?

The law imposes precise obligations on the producers and importers of electrical and electronic equipment (financing and management of the separated collection of WEEE).

The legislative decree d.lgs 151/2005 involves, in addition, players in the distribution network of electrical and electronic equipment (withdrawal of end of life equipment), and the local councils (accessibility and adequacy of the differentiated collection systems).

For more information: Producers, Distributors, Users, Local bodies.

Are bans being introduced?

The decree 151/2005, under Article 5 bans, from 1st July 2006, the placement on the market of new electrical and electronic equipment as well as incandescent light sources containing lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chrome, polybrominated biphenyl or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbde). Article 5 also describes the cases in which these measures do not apply.

What are the planned deadlines?

The terms fixed by the Legislative Decree no. 151/2005 for the bureaucratic and operational measures have been passed by a long way as regards the deadlines for enrolment on the National Register (within 90 days of the decree coming into force), the financing of the operations (by and no later than 13 August 2007) and for the owners of WEEE storage, treatment and recovery plants for meeting the measures of the regulations (within three months of the decree coming into force).

Am I an EEE "producer"?

The legislation considers a “producer” someone who:

makes and sells equipment under his own brand (producer in the “classic” sense);
resells under his own brand equipment produced by other suppliers (private labels);
imports or places equipment on the national market for the first time and conducts its marketing even through distance selling (importer).