The WEEE Directive correctly applied to CE marking.

law in February 2003. It is a major step towards implementing the zero-waste concept by setting collection, recycling and recovery targets for all types of e-waste. It establishes a return management system for EEE (electrical and electronic equipment) and makes products reusable through responsible recycling. This Directive has been replaced by WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU (WEEE Recast), which entered into force on 13 August 2012. WEEE is currently mandatory for all applicable product classes.

• large household appliances
• small appliances
• IT and telecommunications equipment
• consumer devices
• lighting devices
• electrical and electronic tools (except large-scale stationary industrial tools)
• Toys, leisure and sports equipment
• medical devices (excluding implanted and infected products)
• monitoring and control instruments
• automatic dispensers
• display devices
• Appliances containing refrigerants
• Gas discharge lamps and light emitting diodes (LED) light sources
• PV panels (solar panels)

Manufacturers can select the most appropriate category for reporting WEEE compliance from the following 14 categories, depending on local legal requirements

• Historical and non-historical: Historical electrical and electronic waste is equipment that was put on the market before 2005 and it is the responsibility of the owner of the equipment to take precautions for recycling.
• Equipment placed on the market after 2005 is referred to as non-historic WEEE and the responsibility for collection and recycling lies with the manufacturer/distributor.

• material for military or space purposes,
• Light bulbs,
• active implantable medical devices,
• Means of transport or stationary industrial tools.

CE marking refers to product safety and related risks, while the WEEE directive obliges manufacturers and brand owners to follow the rules of extended producer responsibility, to encourage the collection and responsible recycling of electronic waste

WEEE and CE marking are regulated independently by different EU legislation. If WEEE does not apply to a product, the product can be marked with the CE mark without being WEEE compliant.

For example, "personal protective equipment" is subject to CE marking but not WEEE labelling, since no electronic parts are installed (normally).

The Low Voltage Directive (LVD 2006/95/EC) harmonizes legislation within the European Union and covers electrical equipment designed for use in a voltage range between 50 and 1000 volts for alternating current (AC) or between 75 and 1500 volts for direct current (DC). These product classes are often also covered by the WEEE Directive, including:

• medical devices,
• electricity meters,
• consumers and household appliances and
• electrical plugs and sockets for domestic use
• ...and more

electronic waste regulated by WEEE contains hazardous chemical substances regulated by RoHS. In the European Waste Catalogue, all the findings have been compiled and include:

• Uninterruptible power supplies, lead-acid batteries
• Cathode ray tubes (TVs, computer monitors)
• Fluorescent tubes, backlighting of laptop screens, thin-film transistors
• Electrical/electronic devices containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Refrigerators and freezers, due to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), an ozone-depleting substance. Since the revision of the regulations in 2012, all refrigerants have been classified as dangerous.

(*) An asterisk at the end of a code means that the waste is dangerous. For example, 20-01-35 is considered* dangerous and 20-01-35 is considered not dangerous.

The PCS works to achieve full compliance with the individual WEEE requirements of all members by implementing and implementing the level of recycling required by the WEEE Directive. Furthermore, the PCS report on behalf of the members about the operation and the recycling successes to the authorities.

or designated collection points (DCFs). Licensed recyclers then transport the collected electronic waste from these sites to recycling plants and approved treatment plants (AATFs). In AATFs, the materials in the e-waste stream are separated into clean raw materials by the process of shredding, sorting and separating. Waste electrical and electronic equipment is then weighed and categorised in accordance with the directive. The total quantities of each category of material processed are reported to the manufacturer compliance system and remunerated accordingly.

(which require CE marking). WEEE compliant products that must meet CE requirements require an EPR certificate, which must be requested from the competent authorities. This certificate requires documentary proof of the creation of an e-waste management plan by a certified recycling agency. The plan must ensure that the targets set by the regulatory authorities for the collection of electronic waste are met. easyCE can provide you with a sample for an EPR certificate on request.

• Registration; I have to register as a manufacturer with the respective EU authority.
• Regular declaration of the material placed on the market
• Labelling requirements: Products must be WEEE marked.
• The necessary information must be provided to the recycling company.
• Return and recycling must be organized
• Take-back and recycling financing: manufacturers must finance the take-back systems, waste treatment and recycling.
• Reporting on withdrawal and recovery results; manufacturers must report regularly to the legal authorities on the quantities they collect and treat.

The format of the EPR certificate varies from country to country and from one compliance redemption system to another.

However, this approach carries the risks of increasing the threat to humanity through resource scarcity and deterioration in health. Governments around the globe are increasingly under pressure to change the systems around us to avoid waste and protect our environment, health and natural resources. This has led to the idea of the Zero Waste System, which could meet the needs of future generations. A zero waste system is a cyclical production model, just like nature, and follows the following approach:

• A new set of rules for responsible management of diminishing natural resources
• Intelligent design and manufacturing processes where manufacturers are responsible for the entire life cycle of their products
• New policies, programs and regulations to raise awareness and regulate systems that change our culture away from waste and towards a sense of responsibility for our planet and its future
• Build a resource recovery infrastructure to recover most of our waste through responsible recycling.