Publications Legislation Links SCARE
WASTES FROM ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
Wastes from Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) are considered all devices that use electricity to work and can be considered as waste.
WEEE are estimated to be the most rapidly expanding category of waste in the EU. In 1998 the world production of WEEE was about 6 million tons. The annual increase of the WEEE volume is estimated around 3 – 5 %. Every 5 years 16 – 28 % more WEEE will be produced. Their rate of increase is about 3 times larger than that of urban waste.
The industry of electronics is closely related to the sectors of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Environmental Design (DFE) and End of Life Management (ELM).
The European Council is about to impose more rigid legislation about the management of electric and electronic waste (e-recycling). The management system must encourage the repair, reuse and recycling of those devices.
Over the last years, collaboration is intensified internationally between industries of electric and electronic equipment in matters of management of those wastes.
Pictures from Guiyu region in China (source: Basel Action Network):
a) storage and
disassmbly area
b) gold liquification
