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

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� Producers: Producers: Producers: The EPA is carrying out inspections of producers where it has been
notified that they are non-compliant by the WEEE Register Society for failing to
re-register. These are detailed inspections where purchase and sales
documentation and stock held on site is inspected to gather evidence of noncompliance
with obligations under the WEEE Regulations. Where noncompliance
is not closed out within agreed time-frame, a recommendation for
prosecution may be put to the Board of the Agency for consideration;
� Trade Trade exhibitions: exhibitions: exhibitions: Inspectors attend exhibitions (open to public and/or trade)
to check compliance of exhibitors selling or advertising EEE. The EPA is
working with exhibition management companies to have terms and conditions
regarding WEEE compliance inserted into exhibition application forms, and to
ensure that non-compliant exhibitors are prohibited from attending future
exhibitions.
In summary the EPA collects and transfers data on the following aspects of WEEE
management:
� Amounts of products introduced to the market;
� Annually recovered appliances; and
� Volume of collected, reused, recovered and exported appliances.
19.5.1 Evaluation Studies Available
According to the WEEE Regulations, by 31 December 2006 Ireland was obliged to
achieve a separate collection rate of 4kg of household WEEE per person per year.
According to the:
• National Waste Report 2006, Ireland achieved a separate collection rate of
7.4Kg of household WEEE per person per year.
• Annual WEEE Ireland Report 2007, this collection rate increased again in
2007 to almost 9Kg. Of the total WEEE collected in 2007, 80% was treated in
Ireland and 20% was exported to other EU countries. 410
19.6 Environmental Benefits
The WEEE Regulations aim to prevent the generation of WEEE and facilitate the
achievement of targets for the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of WEEE in
an environmentally sound manner. The quantity of WEEE collected in 2007 reached
50,626 tonnes. 411 The EPA National Waste Database Report 2006 stated that this
producer responsibility initiative ‘has proven very successful in achieving the
recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment and diverting it from landfill’.
However, the report went on to suggest that the increasing generation of any waste
stream is of concern and that as a next step, the focus should be firstly on preventing
410 EPA, National Waste Report, 2007.
411 IBID.
29/09/09