The “all actors” approach

de | Dec. 9, 2020 | News

The "all actors" approach is a policy model that includes all natural and legal persons who have legal responsibilities in the management, handling (collection, logistics, preparation for reuse, reconditioning, WEEE treatment), WEEE monitoring, regulation and enforcement of WEEE legislation. All actors are obliged to comply with the WEEE Directive (in terms of compliance, monitoring and reporting) and to work towards the common goal of responsible WEEE operations and transparent monitoring.

Under the "all actors" approach, other actors, such as waste operators, which are not representative of producers, have specific obligations with regard to the WEEE they manage. One of the main benefits of this approach is that it does not interfere with commercial recycling and waste management operations, but rather allows management and reporting in accordance with the WEEE Directive, thereby increasing the reporting of recycled WEEE according to and rates. collection. A coordinating body, such as a national registry, may be tasked with consolidating and validating the data. The exact implementation will differ from country to country.

The reasons why the "all actors" approach could be beneficial stem from the literature as well as from the survey responses of WEEE Forum members. A positive effect is that WEEE monitoring is thus facilitated, as all actors contribute data. Consequently, when properly regulated, the efficiency of WEEE collection can be improved, as the actors in the system would work together to meet their targets. Countries without an "all actors" approach may face unfair competition between e-waste actors, and monitoring can be difficult due to the number of actors involved. The implementation of the WEEE Directive is also less fair and inclusive, with some actors being able to benefit financially from some of the conditions imposed by it, although they do not bear any costs in terms of mandatory responsibilities.

Of the thirteen countries that were analyzed in detail, eight implement the "all actors" approach. In these countries, there may be differences in the effective implementation of the “all actors” approach that has not been researched. The eight countries that implement an “all actors” approach have a collection rate of 45%, compared to 39%, on average, for countries that, based on the POM, do not have such an approach. The higher collection rate for countries that have implemented the "all actors" approach was also observed when comparing collection rates across EU regions. The difference in the rate of WEEE collection between the countries that have implemented the “all actors” approach and those that have not has done so is 14 kg / capita.

The direct positive impact of the 'all actors' approach could only be quantified for the Netherlands, given that the National Register (D) EEEE distinguishes these data. In the case of the Netherlands, an additional amount of 2,2 kg of WEEE collected / capita can be attributed to the "all actors" approach.