EU: Industry’s contribution to electronic waste collection up in the air

“The extent of producer responsibility is under discussion,” an EC official told edie, confirming that 100% producer responsibility for recovering and recycling electric and electronic waste is not on the cards.

The EC official said that the two areas under negotiation are the system for collecting end-of-life electric and electronic waste and the question of whether the directive should have a retroactive component – as contained in the end-of-life vehicles directive (see related story).

“Funding the collection of waste is the more important issue,” said the official. “Local authorities do not have a problem with collecting it, but only if they are paid by industry.”

An Ends daily report quotes an American Electronics Association spokesperson as optimistic that the EC’s draft directive will not require industry to set up its own waste collection system separate from local authorities’ collection services.

According to the EC official, the draft directive should be published next month. “It’s hoped that it will be published in April, and I think that’s a realistic hope,” he said.