I4R
Article 15 of the Directive 2012/19/EU (WEEE Directive) requires producers to provide information free of charge about preparation for re-use and treatment for each type of EEE placed on the market. This provision with slightly different wording already existed at the time of the first WEEE Directive (old Art. 11). Since 2005, manufacturers have been collecting the information according to a harmonized reporting format for each product and uploaded it on their website.
To better respond to recyclers’ needs, APPLiA and DIGITALEUROPE have created this single central online platform – the Information for Recyclers Platform (I4R) – where recyclers can access recycling information at product category level. The WEEE Forum, an international association of producer responsibility organisations and a centre of competence, will host and maintain the platform. To meet the requirements of Directive 2012/19/EU, the recycling information will be linked to the presence and location of materials and components in electronic waste that require separate treatment.
The European Power Tool Association (EPTA) has recently joined the I4R platform and contributed with a new product category on Power tools and four new product fiches.
A grand total of 47 product fiches in six product categories are currently at the user’s disposal.
WEEE Directive
Based on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principles, the EU Directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) makes producers responsible for the organization and/or financing of the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of their products at end of life. The purpose of the Directive is to contribute to sustainable production and consumption by, as a first priority, the prevention of WEEE and, in addition, by the re-use, recycling and other forms of recovery of such wastes so as to reduce the disposal of waste and to contribute to the efficient use of resources and the retrieval of valuable secondary raw materials.
SUPPORTING REGULATIONS
The regulatory framework for the management of WEEE is significantly shaped by other key legislative instruments:
- Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 introduces comprehensive requirements for batteries and waste-batteries, covering their design, removability, replaceability, collection, recycling and recovery across the full lifecycle.This regulation complements the WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU by reinforcing the requirement to treat batteries separately from EEE waste streams and by advancing provisions for re-use and recycling of battery-embedded equipment.
- Critical Raw Materials Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1252) aims to strengthen the circularity and recovery of critical raw materials (CRMs) contained in products and wastes, including those governed by the WEEE regime. The CRM Act explicitly calls for enhancing collection and treatment of WEEE-streams with high CRM recovery potential and to ensure implementation of national programmes that identify and report on CRM-containing components removed from WEEE.