Electrical waste plan ‘too late’

Date: 25/09/1997

By Peter Chapman

EUROPEAN Commission plans for a directive on electronic waste recycling schemes are “four years too late” and stand little chance of getting off the ground, claims a top industry executive.

The attack comes after Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard announced this summer that she intended to come forward with proposals for a directive which could impose target levels for the recycling of components and the mandatory launch of 'take-back schemes' - where customers return old equipment to manufacturers.

Bill McCartney, Europe environment director for US electronics firm Motorola, said such recycling schemes had already been set up in most EU member states, including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Austria.

He claimed that those which already had industry or government-led schemes in place were unlikely to want to overturn them in favour of an EU-wide regime.

“If the EU desire is to have harmonised take-back legislation, it is four years too late. They have missed the boat. I don't think there is any optimism about the directive,” he said. “What will happen is that the proactive countries will continue to do what they are doing and the only impact will be on countries like the UK and Italy that do nothing at all.

McCartney said the missed opportunity to harmonise take-back schemes several years ago meant that companies such as Motorola, which makes electronic components and telecoms equipment, would face different regimes across the Union.

“The ideal solution is to have a reasonably level playing-field. But one can't see what a directive would do to address that. It would not make schemes across the EU similar,” he said.

“The only way they could make them similar would be to put in place something that is too restrictive - so they are on a hiding to nothing. The problem has been timing.”

Motorola's environment expert believes the Commission will base its electronics and electrical recycling effort on an earlier directive covering end-of-life vehicles which includes limits on the volume of hazardous materials such as lead which can be used in manufacturing.

“The worry is that any kind of materials ban could cause the industry problems. Lead solder is exempt from controls in the vehicles directive but lead is used in the electronics industry in a variety of ways, not just for solder,” he said.

Another fear voiced by environment lawyer Rod Hunter, of US law firm Hunton and Williams, is that the European Commission might impose retrospective legislation which would oblige manufacturers to treat all electronic equipment produced in the past.

“This would impose an enormous burden on the industry. The people who would benefit would be the newcomers to the market, whereas a company such as Philips would face an enormous cost,” he warned.

Commission environment officials remain tight-lipped over what shape their proposals will take ahead of a round table with EU member states on the issue, planned for November.

But some within the industry are already urging the Commission to act on the findings of an EU-funded report carried out by the UK's AEA Technologies which warns that electronics and electrical kit have their biggest environmental impact during their production and use. The report puts electronic waste at “less than 1&percent; of the EU waste stream”.

“One argument is that it would be better to address the other 99&percent; of the waste stream. This plan is typical of Bjerregaard. She likes to pick on the multinationals that would be hit by this directive They are good targets,” complained one lobbyist for a big EU electronics company.