Electrical recyling targets ring alarms

Date: 18/06/1998

By Chris Johnstone

DETAILED proposals from the European Commission to force electronics and electrical goods manufacturers to meet targets for collecting old equipment and reusing the parts and materials have sparked protests from across the industry.

Although the principle of equipment recovery is more or less accepted by manufacturers, they claim the Commission's demand that old components and materials should be reused in large quantities is unworkable.

The industry is warning that the wide discretion offered for government measures to pave the way for high levels of recycling, such as cutting down the number of different plastics permitted and encouraging the use of certain materials, risks creating a patchwork of national laws which could destroy the single market.

“We could have 15 different views on how this directive could work,” said Brian Atkin, European environment affairs manager for Panasonic.

The Commission's draft targets for electronic and electrical waste collection call for between 80&percent; and 90&percent; of large household goods, office equipment and dispensing machines, including fridges, freezers, washing machines, computers and printers, to be taken back by their makers.

Lower recovery rates of 40&percent; to 60&percent; are proposed for smaller household goods, telecoms equipment and televisions, videos, lamps, electronic toys and electrical tools.

Although there is some dispute over who should pay for equipment recovery, with some television manufacturers suggesting the cost should be more widely shared by electricity supply companies, the industry is more concerned about the two proposed recycling and reuse targets.

The Commission proposes that between 70&percent; and 90&percent; of all large household goods, IT equipment, electrical and electronic tools, some medical devices and automatic vending machines should be recycled into new equipment. For small domestic devices, televisions, radios, lamps and toys, this target would fall to 40-60&percent;.

European manufacturers argue materials technology is developing so quickly that even equipment which is only a few years old cannot be incorporated easily into new models, making the targets unworkable.

They claim that the Commission's draft recycling demands might even force them to turn the clock back and produce heavier equipment which consumes more energy.

Manufacturers are also looking askance at the idea that lead will be banned as a hazardous substance. They claim that there is no viable alternative to lead solder for most electrical and electronic connections.