March 5, 2010
A new study by the Federal Environment Agency of Germany released yesterday (March 4th) has made some intriguing findings on the state of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive.
It claims that WEEE containing hazardous chemicals is being shipped to Asia and Africa where they are only rarely recycled ecologically.
Federal minister for environment Dr Norbert Rottgen said: "The study illustrates the scale of illegal export of WEEE, while also pointing out that further measures to solve the problem are necessary.
"The federal government is calling for a decisive regulation at the European level by which exporters must provide proof that exported devices are in working order and not in fact waste."
In the one-and-a-half year study it found that a plethora of hazardous materials, which must be recycled professionally to avoid harming human health and the environment, are contained within WEEE, with one computer housing 100 different materials.
The WEEE directive came into force in January 2007 and aims to reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment being produced by promoting re-use, refurbishment and recycling.
Rapid Electronics is a leading UK supplier of energy saving products, electronic components and electrical equipment
|