After more than 10 years of debate, the European Union (EU) came to an agreement on the future treatment of Waste from Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) on February 13, 2003. Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament commences mid 2004, and a year later producers will have to assume their new WEEE responsibilities, with prescribed collection and recycling targets in effect as of 2007.1 The WEEE directive assigns responsibility within the consumer electronics industry for sustainable production and the safekeeping of our environment by preventing, recycling and reusing waste or at least improving and monitoring the final disposal of it. It applies to the consumer electronics business ecosystem as defined by the EU: - Large household appliances
- Small household appliances
- IT and telecommunications equipment
- Consumer equipment
- Lighting equipment
- Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools)
- Toys, leisure and sports equipment
- Medical devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected products)
- Monitoring and control instruments
- Automatic dispensers
While the directive requires every participant in the lifecycle of electric or electronic equipment (EEE) to improve its environmental performance, it is the utmost responsibility of the producer to cover the costs associated with WEEE. Sustainable development debates have raged since its definition was first published in the Brundtland Report in 1987, and often focus on whether the industry should be held responsible for the waste its products produce. With the EU directive finally settling the argument over who's responsible, the key question now becomes how to deal with that responsibility most efficiently. To learn more about how the industry is responding to the WEEE directive and its ramifications, download the PDF file at the top of this page. | 
