A new online platform has launched to guide electronics producers in disposing of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
DIGITALEUROPE and the European Committee of Domestic Equipment Manufacturers (CECED) – which represents the appliance industry in Europe – have partnered with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum – a non-profit representing ‘producer responsibility organisations’ – on the creation of the platform, called the Information for Recyclers Platform (I4R).
How will the I4R Platform help recyclers?
The new platform will help recyclers access information about the presence and location of materials and components in electronic waste which require separate treatment. Producers of electrical and electronic equipment have a responsibility to provide information for re-use and treatment of each device placed on the market.
This information, which is aimed at providing guidance on how best to handle waste electrical and electronic equipment, will now be hosted by the common online platform, in a harmonised reporting format for ease of access.
What have the organisations said about the report?
The three organisations represent a breadth of the manufacturers and recyclers of electronic components in Europe, and decided to launch the platform to help reduce the environmental impact of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
DIGITALEUROPE’s director general, Cecilia Bonefed-Hald, said: “By providing information at product group level, the I4R platform will help recyclers to optimise sorting where applicable … We wish to drive solutions to this problem [of recycling components which require separate treatment] and the I4R platform is key to better inform managers in the recycling industry and to train workers on safety issues.”
CECED’s Director-General, Paolo Falcioni, added that the benefits of the new platform will extend beyond producer responsibility organisations and recyclers of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
He said: “The added value of the I4R platform will not only benefit recyclers and the industry, but also all European citizens. It is another example of industries working together to contribute to a Circular Society, this time by supporting recycling and secondary raw material recovery.”
