Promoting reuse strategies for electrical/electronic equipment

Abstract

Preserving the natural resources and protecting the environment has become an internationally acknowledged prerequisite for sustainable development. There have been several international initiatives, agreements and acts of cooperation, in parallel with legislation that enforces strict constraints and obligations on manufacturers for their products, based on the principles of the extended producer responsibility. This paper presents a methodological framework for integrated assessment, developed to support optimal decision-making regarding the rationalised management of electrical and electronic equipment at the end of their useful life. The resulting waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has become a top-priority owing to its increasing volume and high value, as well as hazardous content. The proposed framework has been designed as the coordination interface between the government, producers and all relevant stakeholders. The framework targets the promotion of reuse strategies according to the European Union waste framework directive and the pending recast of the WEEE directive. In order to assist decision-making as regards end-of-life alternatives, a multicriteria-based methodological approach has been developed and described herein. An application of the introduced framework is demonstrated.