International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

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� Organisation of the separate collection of WEEE (responsibility lies with
municipalities);
� Social economy undertakings are to be included in the collection of WEEE;
� Take-back of a similar product when a new product is purchased (retailer
responsibility); and
� Realisation of the environmentally sound treatment of WEEE (producer
responsibility).
Each manufacturer or importer has to join a system for WEEE collection and
treatment. Alternatively, manufacturers or importers may establish an individual
waste management plan and have it approved by the authorities.
The collection network of RECUPEL relies on the following collection points:
� all 518 CA sites in Belgium (89 serviced directly, 444 serviced through
regional transhipment stations);
� 28 intermunicipal regional transhipment stations (‘intercommunales’);
� 17 used goods centres acting as regional transhipment stations;
� 2 re-distribution centres of retailers (for approximately 112 branches);
� approximately 2,700 retailers; and
� collection facilities such as repair companies and waste management
companies.
Requests for the collection and transport of household appliances from these
collection points can be submitted through the RECUPEL website. The minimum
amount required in order to arrange a collection is either 8 large appliances or one
box pallet (for small appliances or CRT appliances). Bulk transport is organized when
there is at least one full container or 24 box pallets. CA sites are also provided with
so-called 'RECUPEL containers’, solely intended for the collection of WEEE. The only
types of WEEE that cannot be collected at CA sites are medical devices and laboratory
equipment. A tailor-made solution has been created for the collection and recycling of
these very specific types of WEEE.
In order to safeguard the EPR principle, and to ensure that no public money is used
for the collection of any WEEE for which a take back obligation exists, the costs for
the use of public infrastructure such as CA sites has to be carefully assessed. The
Flemish ministerial decision includes a model within the framework on EPR
mechanisms on how to calculate a fair price for the use of the public infrastructure of
CA sites.
RECUPEL works together with one main logistics partner and 6 treatment partners for
WEEE in Flanders and the Walloon region, with between 2 and 4 treatment partners
per product flow group.
Producers and importers, via RECUPEL, must provide the following yearly information:
� the amount (types, number and weight) of EEE put on the market in the
Flemish Region;
� the total amount of collected WEEE (types, number and weight);
29/09/09