The WEEE directive
The WEEE directive
Definition of WEEE waste :
Waste produced by equipment operated by electrical current (or electromagnetic fields) with a voltage not exceeding 1,000 volts AC and 1,500 volts DC. WEEE includes all components, sub-assemblies and consumable products that form an integral part of the product at the time of disposal.
WEEE classification is based on three criteria :
Its origin :
Just as for packaging, the future of WEEE for professionals falls under the responsibility of the owners whereas for household WEEE, the responsibility is shared between the manufacturers, the distributors and the local authorities.
Its material composition :
Mainly depends on the presence of polluting elements (generally requiring manual intervention) and the proportion of metal fractions. Any WEEE containing a hazardous component (examples: PCB, HFC, HCFC, asbestosÖ) is hazardous waste.
Its size :
We generally distinguish between portable products (< 30kg) and non-portable products (> 30kg) as the collection modalities are noticeably different.
We estimate that 1.5 million tonnes of WEEE were generated by companies and households in France in 2000. The annual growth rate of this waste is 3 ñ 5%. More than 50% of this waste was generated by households (13kg per year and inhabitant).