[LINK] "less packaging" vs "less damage"

[Geoff Ramadan]

> 
> On the issue of making manufacturers and suppliers responsible for their
> products at their end of life, try "Switzerland electronics recycling
> fees", that found a host of likely-looking documents. This one gives a
> neat overview of the systems (in English):
> 
> http://www.ewaste.ch/case_study_switzerland/recycling_system/actors/
> 
> Regards, K.

I am not sure if the following has already been mentioned, but in electronics 
there is already an EU directive for "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment" 
(WEEE)

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee_index.htm

i.e. manufacturers will have responsibility recycling the WHOLE of there 
electrical products.

Also from our industry association (Australian Electrical and Electronic 
Manufacturers' Association www.aeema.asn.au)
http://www.aeema.asn.au/default.aspx?FolderID=288&ArticleID=633

There are two parts to this equation.

The European Union (EU) has introduced the Restriction of use of certain 
Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment Directive. 
This restricts the use of certain substances in electrical and electronic 
equipment made in, or imported into the European Union, and comes into effect on
1 July 2006. Any equipment placed on the market after that date needs to comply. 
The Directive restricts the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium 
and brominated flame retardants (polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and 
polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)). These substances are effectively banned 
from electrical and electronic products sold in Europe from 1 July 2006.

The EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is an extended 
producer responsibility legislation, and states that producers will be 
responsible for taking back and recycling electrical and electronic equipment. 
It requires producers to be responsible for the costs of disposal of their 
product at end of life along with minimum targets for recycling.

In the forums and seminars I have been attending, two things are clear:

1) Both of these directive will be applied GLOBALLY with in 2 to 3 years (and in 
RoHS in particular has already started).

2) The Australian Government has made it clear to our Electronics industry, that 
it must start preparing for this on a voluntary basis, otherwise the Government 
will step in and legislate.

So in regards to the current topic of packaging pros and cons, I think its a bit 
mute, as WEEE directive has far greater implications, as once it is done for 
Electronics, other industries WILL follow... i.e. it is going to happen.

Regards

Geoffrey Ramadan, B.E.(Elec)
Chairman, Automatic Data Capture Australia (www.adca.com.au)
and
Managing Director, Unique Micro Design (www.umd.com.au)