WEEE system in the EU and in Norway

1. WEEE system in the EU and in Norway Challenges, results and experience Rune Opheim Norwegian Pollution Control Authority

2. Our challenge… BACKGROUND FOR THE EU DIRECTIVES

3. WEEE Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment

4. WHY DO WE NEED LEGISLATION ON WEEE? Reduce quantities of waste More reuse and recycling Efficient takeback systems Environmentally sound products Safe treatment of waste hazardous components

5. WIHICH HAZARDOUS COMPO-NENTS ARE COMMON IN WEEE? - Mercury, other heavy metals - PCBs - Flame retardants - “Greenhouse” gasses - Asbestos - “Cancer makers” (i.e. PAH) May poison people, animals, crops and nature, and damage DNA (heredity). Some will stay in nature for thousands of years if not correctly treated!

6. Because of PCBs, he may not be able to breed...

7. EXISTING DIRECTIVES RoHS National legislation from July 2006 WEEE National legislation from August 2005 Restriction on hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products Six banned substances Both product and waste regulations Producer respon-sibility. Collection, treatment, recycling Marking & documentation

8. ADDITIONAL DIRECTIVE Eco-design of Energy-using Products – EuP Directive All “energy-using products” (except transport vehicles) Harmonise eco-design – harmonised standards to be made Marking and declaration of conformity – will affect the CE Marking EuP proposals published August 2003, adopted in 2005 EuP National legislation from 2007

9. STATUS WEEE LEGISTLATION Norway: Full range WEEE system since 1999 Before 2005: Systems in operation in about 10 countries The WEEE Directive is now implemented in national law in most EU countries. In force before 01.01.2007 Limited 1-2 year derogations for some new member states

10. GLOBAL ELECTROSCRAP PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY BY 2010?

11. WHICH LEGISTLATION MUST PRODUCERS COMPLY WITH? • Producers must comply with national legislation – not the Directives • Member State decisions on: • - legal requirements • - penalties • - enforcement authorities • Directives set the structure and requirements for the implemen-tation into national legislation

12. AMBITIONS IN NATIONAL LEGISLATION RoHS WEEE Harmonised directive Same ambition in all member states Minimum directive More ambitious legislation in some countries, especially on scope

13. OBLIGATIONS FOR ALL PRODU-CERS SELLING IN EUROPE • All new EEE products must • NOT contain the six banned substances in RoHS Directive • be (CEN standard) marked, • + waste info in manuals etc. • IMPORTES into Europe fulfil the producer responsibility Info to future treatment plants: - hazardous components, - to promote recycling & reuse

14. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS IN MEMBER STATES

15. WEEE PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY – Product & waste flow (simplified) New products Waste products producer importer Money to pay for waste treatment distributor consumer $ Waste treatment Collection point The producer/ importer must pay for the waste treatment These costs will be part of the product’s price The producer/ importer may choose to take care of his own products

16. WHAT SHALL OWNERS DO WITH SCRAPPED EQUIPMENT? Consumers can deliver waste electrical and electronic products (WEEE) to collection points and / or shops Free of charge Also collection of business waste

17. Takeback companies pick up WEEE from shops and munici-palities all over the country Regional points where WEEE is sorted and stored before it is sent to treatment plants The takeback companies buy services from treatment plants (domestic and abroad) The takeback companies check that treatment plants perform well. ISO 14000 certification or EMAS are often required. WEEE LOGISTICS - example

18. WHAT WILL THEY DO IN THE TREATMENT PLANTS? WEEE Annex II, incl. Guidance Document: - Remove liquids and hazardous components - Send as much as possible for reuse or recycling, (minimum recycling rates in the WEEE Directive) - Report quantities and recycling data

19. WHAT IS REQUIRED TO RUN TREATMENT PLANTS? Treatment plants must be licensed by national authorities. National decisions on how “their” EE-waste shall be treated (minimum directive). But many will follow the guidance document Quality / management systems as ISO 14000 or EMAS are often required. Treatment plants outside the EU must follow the same requirements. Export restrictions to ensure this

20. IMPACT OF WEEE SYSTEMS - NORWEGIAN EXPERIENCE

21. COOPERATION WITH INDUSTRY Good cooperation in countries with existing WEEE systems A few systems in other countries without producer responsibility have now been changed Industry organize into PRO’s - Producer Responsibility Organi-zations. They “do the job” for producers and importers Often voluntary agreements between authorities & industry

22. INDUSTRY & PUBLIC ATTITUDE Industry differs from enthusiastic to negative. Much discussion within- and between organizations Distributors: Differing opinions Environmentalists and consumer organisations not very active Scepticism and some frustration in some of newer MS - this kind of cooperation with industry appears strange Public positive – if they get enough and correct information

23. AUTHORITITES - SUPERVISION Surprisingly many producers and importers (14.000 in Norway!) “Free rider problem” – risk of undermining good systems Tough competition - small margins – tempting to “cheat” “Legislation testing” Essential that authorities are willing to stand by what they have put into their legislation

24. SYSTEM COSTS & BENEFITS IN NORWAY Total import & production near 10 billion € a year System costs: 30 mill € System costs = 0,3 % of value. No significant effect on product prices, but new jobs and business opportunities! 80-90 % collection, 15-20 kg per capita. Directive requires 4 kg. by 2006. Treatment standard as in directive

25. COLLECTION RESULTS – Norway

26. Norway: Expensive work force Challenging infrastructure

27. SYSTEM CHALLENGES Effective cooperation with industry. Use of market forces instead of “hide and seek” Effective WEEE collection - Public information essential “Small appliances problem” Complicated directive text, unclear compromises Catch the “big fish” first Local practical, economical and cultural understanding essential

28. WEEE systems: It is possible in Norway In Croatia …and in the rest of the World!

29. THE NORWEGIAN WEEE SYSTEM How is it organized? Who does what?

30. REVISION OF NORWEGIAN WEEE SYSTEM FROM 1999 • Implement WEEE- Directive • New treatment requirements • Allow individual producer responsibility • Marking, Financial guarantee • Producer register • Implement RoHS-directive • Domestic challenge to get rid of free riders and make the system more understandable • ”Robust & simple” • ”Don’t change a winning team!”

31. SCOPE OF NORWEGIAN REGULATION Wider than Directive: ”Everything with any kind of electrical current” except loose batteries and transport vehicles Same scope for consumers and business waste Cooling equipment containing CFC According to WEEE Directive Norway has to introduce producer responsibility (costs are now paid by municipalities) CFC will be taken into the WEEE system, and existing regulation deleted.

32. PRODUCER’S OBLIGATIONS Be a member of a takeback system covering the producer/importer’s products All members of the product chain must be members – the takeback system will share the costs between them Exports to other EU/EEA countries must be reported Distance sellers must take part in other countries national systems Information to consumers and professional users (general requirement)

33. THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION Authorities' criteria for takeback systems to be certified (legal requirements) Third party Accredi- tation Buying services Takeback system (scheme) Must be certified Document examination. Verification Certifying -statement that criteria ere met Pollution control Authority

34. THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION Authorities' (SFT) list of criteria which must be met by takeback systems to be certified Annul revisions. Re certifying every 3th year Only environmental controllers accepted as certifying bodies in the EMAS and ISO 14000 systems can be accredited (6 such in Norway) More efficient supervision – polluter pays More fair regulations, lacking authorities recourses will not undermine the system Get rid of unserious attempts to make takeback systems. Order and efficiency pays! New business opportunities

35. HOW ARE THEY CONNECTED… PRODUCERS IMPORTERS accredited 3rd PARTY ENVIRON-MENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CertifiedTAKEBACK SYSTEMS (PROs) Domestic treatment plants Abroad treatment plants

36. WEEE TREATMENT WEEE Directive requirements are part of criteria for takeback systems to be certified Treatment data also covered Certifying body (third party) will also have to check that all treatment facilities meet the criteria Document examination and verifications Treatment facilities with EMAS or ISO 14000 will be significantly cheaper to use County governor will licence Norwegian facilities, but this does not include how the EE waste is treated as long as the plant does not pollute Export according to Basel convention

37. HOW ARE THEY CONNECTED… PRODUCERS IMPORTERS accredited 3rd PARTY ENVIRON-MENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CertifiedTAKEBACK SYSTEMS (PROs) collective individual MUNICI-PALITIES DDISTRI-BUTORS Domestic treatment plants Abroad treatment plants COUNTY GOVERNOR

38. DRISTIBUTORS & MUNICIPALITIES • Receive EE Waste • free of charge if household waste • one to one base, free of charge if business waste • Distributor will only have to receive the product types he sells • Distributors obligation also covers distant selling • Sorting, storing an forwarding of EE-waste • Provide information for consumers. Distributors must also provide information in shop placards, on web sites etc. • Only obliged to deliver to collective schemes, but may make appointments with individual ones.

39. INDIVIDUALLY FINANCED TAKEBACK SYSTEMS Each producer is allowed to finance treatment of his own products (as stated in directive) Special criteria for individually financed systems Financial guarantee (”Pay as you go” for collective schemes) No extra costs for tax payers, collective schemes or for anyone else To be certified, individual systems must show that they’re likely to collect their scrapped products on their own (deposits, product registers etc.) Individually financed systems must also pay to collective schemes, according to WEEE Directive

40. REGISTER OF PRODUCERS Collect, sum up and report import, production, collection and treatment data Collect export data. Inform receiving countries Calculate supply of goods, and inform producers & importers about their obligation, and which takeback systems that offer relevant services Compare members lists for certified takeback systems with customs and tax systems import and production data to find free riders Inform free riders, and make free riders lists available for the authorities (SFT) Financial guarantee for individual schemes Controled by SFT, paid by takeback systems

41. HOW ARE THEY CONNECTED… PRODUCER-REGISTER PRODUCERS IMPORTERS accredited 3rd PARTY ENVIRON-MENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CertifiedTAKEBACK SYSTEMS (PROs) collective individual MUNICI-PALITIES DDISTRI-BUTORS Domestic treatment plants Abroad treatment plants COUNTY GOVERNOR

42. VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS Ensure that ”non profit” takeback systems are available for all kinds of EE waste (collectively financed schemes) Ensure good communication between industry organisations and authorities Collection target: 80 per cent of generated EE waste (already achieved) - This goal is not linked to the legal requirements - Important for industry organizations to have their own goal to motivate their members.

43. MARKING AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW EE PRODUCTS Put into the Norwegian Product Control Act Marking of new products according to the WEEE Directive and coming CEN standard Information for the treatment plants Includes a “straight forward” implementing of the RoHS Directive Harmonized requirements in the whole EU/EEA area

44. HOW DO WE WORK Close cooperation with industry and other NGOs makes our job easier. Formal stakeholder consultations not enough! SFT suggestions to Ministry of Environment. The Minster decides. Revised regulation proclaimed in April 2005 Detailed certification criteria, including treatment and reporting obligations proclaimed in February 2006 Running Register of producers set out on Public Tender. Paid by Industry New system into force July 1st 2006