Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

The second possibility is the European waste legislation, which includes the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS). The RoHS Directive is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) which sets collection, recycling, and recovery targets for electrical goods and is part of a legislative initiative to solve the problem of toxic e-waste. 

EU s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive and RoHS. 267... 

One recycling issue that is important throughout the developed world is what to do with the approximately 300 million TVs and computer monitors that are thrown out each year. The European Union Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive have banned them from being dumped in landfills because the screens contain PbO added to shield against the X-ray radiation released by the high anode voltage. Table 37.9 shows typical compositions of cathode ray tube (CRT) glasses. 

Waste electrical and electronic equipment directive (WEEE), http //europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l 037/l 03720030213en00240038.pdf. 

Directive 2002/96/EC ofthe European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (2003) Official Journal ofthe European Union, L37 13/02/2003, 24-39. 

The introduction of EU directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Reduction of Hazardous Substances has highlighted the need for precise and repeatable elemental analysis of heavy metals in the plastics production process. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy has emerged as the most economical and effective analytical tool for achieving this. A set of certified standards, known as TOXEL, is now available to facilitate XRF analyses in PE. Calibration with TOXEL standards is simplified by the fact that XRF is a multi-element technique. Therefore a single set of the new standards can be used to calibrate several heavy elements, covering concentrations from trace level to several hundred ppm. This case study is the analysis of heavy metals in PE using an Epsilon 5 XRF spectrometer. 

The move by the European Commission to make three separate pieces of legislation out of an original single draft directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment has probably served to intensify the focus onbrominated flame retardants in these applications. Under the draft, EU countries shall ensure that the use of lead, mercury,... 

Proposals to ban two types of brominated flame retardants in electrical and electronic goods are raising controversy in Bmssels. The EU DG XI (Environment) is circulating a draft proposed directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment under which polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers would be banned by 1 January 2004. The proposal is circulating despite risk assessments which show that there is no particular cause for concern and no need for further risk assessment. 

European Parliament and Council in their Proposal for a Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (COM/2000/0347 final), See http // europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga doc sma rtapi celexplus prod CELEXnumdoc lg= en numdoc=52000PC0347(01)... 

Also in February 2003, the European Union enacted the Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (known as the WEEE Directive), calling for manufacturers to take end-of-life responsibility for their products (European Parliament, 2003b). Until August 15, 2005, this directive applies the principle of collective producer responsibility to wastes generated by electrical and electronic products. This principle allows companies to pool monies used for managing their wastes. However, for wastes generated by products manufactured after that date, it applies the principle of individual manufacturer responsibility, with the result... 

The analysis of plastics for hazardous metals e.g. Cd, Pb, Cr(total) and Hg is now essential on all products including plastics used in electric and electronic equipment sold within the European states. Directives for these products have been issued under Packaging Directive , End of Life Vehicle (ELV), Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), and have been introduced to control the risk to health and waste disposal in the environment. The listed metals have been used extensively in the past as pigments, stabilisers and catalysts, especially PVC, and these toxic elements can be released over time into the environment. Therefore, polymer producers are advised that future products be lower than EU values or free of these metals. 

Over recent years, much environmental legislation appeared (mostly imposed on manufacturing industry). Energy Using Products (EuP), Integrated Performance Primitives (IPP), RoHS and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), to name but a few that directly impact on the manufacturing sectors that produce or use... 

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive (2002/96/EC) ... 

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