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

since June 2006 to guide and co-ordinate local authorities in their enforcement of
producer responsibility initiatives. 420
The EPA is currently carrying out inspections for RoHS compliance. The initial focus is
on high-risk items, i.e. those associated with a high probability of non-compliance
and/or those with a high probability of being disposed of in the general household
waste stream. The EPA is contributing to European Environment Agency (EEA)-wide
enforcement activities through the EU RoHS Enforcement Bodies Network.
There have been self-reported non-compliances, which were discovered by the
producers at very early stages. Some of the infringements required remedial actions
which have already been carried out.
19.14 Lessons Learned
Through this policy:
375
� Industry is encouraged to design its products for the purpose of reuse and
recyclability;
� Collection and treatment infrastructure is tailored to the amount of WEEE
disposed.
� Consumers find the take back comfortable and are not illegally disposing of
their small electric appliances in the residual waste. However, there is no
evidence available that fly-tipping of WEEE is decreasing as a consequence of
this Directive.
The degree to which the re-use / prevention aspects of the policy have been actively
pursued / enforced have probably been somewhat limited, but the proposed re-use
protocol (due for publication shortly) may improve matters in respect of re-use.
420 EPA (2008) ‘Note on Enforcement of the WEEE and Battery Regulations by the EPA’
www.epa.ie/downloads/pubs/waste/weee/epa_enforcement
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes