Braun, Electrolux, HP And Sony will work together to promote individual producer responsibility for the recycling of products, along with innovative and competitive recycling technology in line with the new EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment.
The initiative is open to other firms to join and will promote cross-border competition in the European waste management market. The group wants to establish alternatives to single national consortia set up in countries such as Belgium, The Netherlands and Sweden that offer only one option for manufacturers.
A recent report estimated the global market for recycling white goods to be worth £235 billion or €367 billion (see related story).