On May 15th, the European Union assembly voted to tighten recycling targets on its sweeping electronics take-back law that covers everything from hair dryers to computers. Next, national governments will debate the draft law.
The parliament voted to:
* increase the per capita amount of waste to be collected from four – six kilograms per person per year.
* Increase the total amount of consumer items to be recycled from 50-70 percent.
* put the financial burden for collecting, recycling, and disposing of waste completely on manufacturers.
* move up the date for when waste collection systems must be in place – from five years to 30 months after the law is passed.
Although the European Association of Consumer Electronics Manufacturers expressed alarm at having to take on the whole financial burden, the parliament also made changes helpful to industry. As a concession to manufacturers who argue they should not have to pay for recycling products made before the law, companies will be allowed to charge consumers a separate recycling fee for the next 10 years. Also, manufacturers will pay only to recycle their own products, rather a fee based on their market share, as in the original proposal.
Last year, the EU passed a take-back law that forces the auto industry to pay for recycling scrap cars. The purpose of both directives is to encourage manufacturers to design products with end-of-life issues in mind.
In Japan, an appliance take-back law went into effect April 1. Appliance manufacturers can charge whatever they choose to accept unwanted products. Although critics of the system say the producer should pay and that charging individuals will only promote illegal dumping, the Japanese government argues that the consumer pays regardless. If the producer is financially responsible, the consumer pays through higher product prices. So far, competition between the two largest appliance manufacturers has driven the recycling charge down below cost.
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