IWWG Task group on
WEEE - Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment
Chair: Stefan Salhofer
Background
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is one of the fastest growing waste streams
as a consequence of the globally increased consumption of these products. Both the hazardous
components containing Hg, PCBs, brominated flame retardants and other pollutants and the
valuable materials like copper, aluminium and precious metals make it a complex waste stream.
Further dimensions of the problem are:
• Take back systems have been established in Europe and other regions, in most cases
based on extended producer responsibility. This aims to influence the product quality
positively, but the real impact have not been verified to a larger extent
• Global dimension by exporting products (like used mobile phones) as well as end-of-life
appliances to destinations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Lacking infrastructure to
handle this waste and inappropriate recycling technologies lead to severe health risks,
environmental burdens but are inefficient at the same time. Although legal restrictions for
export have been set up in Europe recently, the implementation is still questionable.
Aims
Through the last years practical experience has been gained in collection and recycling, but there
is a lack in scientific analysis from a waste management perspective. Partly this is reasoned by
the interdisciplinary nature of the topic – a typical expert in electronics has usually no experience
in waste management and vice versa. To enlarge the scientific basis, an IWWG working group
can help
• To establish a better database on generation, composition and handling of WEEE in a
global perspective
• To exchange experience from the various regions about the impacts of WEEE on
collection, recycling and disposal (eg. additional load of pollutants from WEEE in
municipal waste streams)
• To discuss methods to measure the success of strategies on a local and global level
S. Salhofer - Chair of the IWWG Task Group 'WEEE' - Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment
Next Steps
Firstly, setup of a smaller group of international researchers and experts from waste
management with expertise in WEEE to formulate a work program.
Secondly, extension of the group by inviting experts from other fields (eg. material science,
toxicology, and mechanical engineering) to cover the interdisciplinary nature of the problem.
A working paper could be a first output; a first meeting could take place in the frame of the
Sardinia Conference 2011.
Contact person:
Dr. Stefan Salhofer,
E-mail: stefan.salhofer@boku.ac.at
Next Task Group Meeting
An initial meeting of the task group aiming at the definition of targets and tasks will take place in the frame of the Sardinia 2011 conference. Researcher and practitioner working in the field of collection and recycling of WEEE are wellcome and invited to contact the chair.