Module B1 Study Book - the Graduate School of the Environment

Fridges and freezers
EC Regulation on Substances That Deplete The Ozone Layer, which came
into effect in October 2001, requires member states to remove ozone
depleting substances (ODS) (including CFCs and HCFCs) from refrigeration
equipment before such appliances are scrapped. This requirement came
into force immediately for industrial and commercial appliances and applied
to domestic appliances from 1 January 2002. It is estimated that up to 3
million domestic refrigeration units are disposed of in the UK each year.
Although there is less data available, it is believed that around a further
half million commercial units are also replaced annually. ODS should be
recovered for destruction, or for recycling or reclamation during the servicing
and maintenance of equipment, or before the dismantling or final disposal
of equipment. For fridges and freezers this applies to any ODS used as the
refrigerant and/or the blowing agent (in the insulation foam). As the insulation
foam is integral to units specialised facilities to extract ODS from the foam
are necessary.
End of Life Vehicles (ELVs)
The ELV Directive aims to reduce the amount of waste from vehicles when
they are finally scrapped. In particular, it includes:
• tightened environmental standards for vehicle treatment sites
• that last owners must be able to dispose of their vehicles free of
charge from 1 January 2007 (and requires producers to pay all or a
significant part of the free take-back from this date),
• sets rising reuse, recycling and recovery targets and
• restricts the use of hazardous substances in both new vehicles and
replacement vehicle parts.
The UK has transposed the Directive through its ELV Regulations 2003 and
2005. The 2003 Regulations put in place most of the requirements of the
Directive, including the improved standards for vehicle treatment sites, some
new technical standards that apply to new vehicles and the establishment of
a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) system.
The remaining provisions were the subject of the 2005 Regulations, which
requires vehicle producers to have available networks of facilities where last
owners of their brands of vehicles may take them for treatment at the end of
their lives.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was agreed
on 13 February 2003, along with the related Directive on Restrictions of the
use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment
(RoHS).
The WEEE Directive aims to minimise the impacts of electrical and electronic
equipment on the environment during their life times and when they become
waste. It applies to a huge spectrum of products. It encourages and sets
72 Lecture: Waste policy