Implementation of the WEEE-directive — economic effects and improvement potentials for reuse and recycling in Germany

Reducing the quantity of waste for disposal and saving natural resources were main drivers for the introduction of the European Directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE-directive). This policy focused on an extension of the producer responsibility (EPR) to the end-of-life-phase o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of advanced manufacturing technology Vol. 47; no. 5-8; pp. 461 - 474
Main Authors Walther, Grit, Steinborn, Jenny, Spengler, Thomas Stefan, Luger, Tobias, Herrmann, Christoph
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Springer-Verlag 01.03.2010
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
CAE) and Design
Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD
Cost analysis
Decision analysis
Dismantling
Economic impact
Electronic equipment
Electronic waste
Engineering
Industrial and Production Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Media Management
Natural resources
Recycling
Special Issue - Original Article
Waste disposal
Waste management
Germany
Regional networks
WEEE
Legislation
Germany
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Summary:Reducing the quantity of waste for disposal and saving natural resources were main drivers for the introduction of the European Directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE-directive). This policy focused on an extension of the producer responsibility (EPR) to the end-of-life-phase of their products. Because of the EPR concept, the national transposition of the WEEE-directive, especially the German transposition in the law ElektroG, caused changes in the organisation and material flows that are sometimes not in line with the aim of the directive, which is to enforce the waste management premise “avoidance prior recycling prior disposal”. Thus, the objective of this contribution is to analyse and compare the situation before and after implementation of the ElektroG in Germany, and deduce improvement potentials. Therefore, a co-operation of a municipality and a nearby disassembly company in Germany is analysed and evaluated, taking into account material flows and costs before/after implementation of the ElektroG, as well as degrees of freedom. Based on this analysis, recommendations are deduced for political decision makers and actors of the WEEE treatment system.
ISSN:0268-3768
1433-3015
DOI:10.1007/s00170-009-2243-0