After the success registered in 2018, the second edition of the International E-Waste Day (International Day of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) will take place on October 14, 2019.
International WEEE Day is an initiative of the WEEE Forum and aims to encourage users to teach them correctly, thus leading to an increase in collection and recycling rates. Last year, more than 50 organizations from 40 countries around the world organized many types of promotional activities, from conferences and seminars, to street and school collection activities, to social media campaigns, guides and online games.
According to the UN, only 20% of global e-waste is recycled annually, which means that 40 million tonnes of WEEE end up in landfills, are burned or traded illegally, or treated in a sub-standard way. All this leads to huge losses of valuable raw materials and causes serious health, environmental and social problems through illegal shipments of waste to developing countries.
WEEE Forum invites all those interested in WEEE issues to participate in the 2019 edition of the International Day of Electrical and Electronic Waste. More information on how to get involved can be found at: www.weee-forum.org/iewd-about/
Pascal Leroy, CEO of WEEE Forum, said: “The volume of electrical and electronic waste is constantly growing and contains many valuable and hazardous materials that should be recovered or treated properly. Although consumer awareness of how to properly dispose of e-waste is growing, we are still struggling to ensure that e-waste is collected and treated by organizations that have the right facilities and channels, thus ensuring that this is done. in an appropriate manner, in a safe and environmentally sound manner. "
In 2018, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella expressed support for E-Waste Day, saying: “This is exactly the kind of event Europe needs. It raises awareness of the importance of waste electrical and electronic equipment, but goes further by highlighting what you can do to manage, reduce and recycle. ”
From 2021, the minimum collection rate to be achieved annually will be 65% of the average weight of appliances placed on the market in the previous three years or, alternatively, 85% of WEEE generated. Such a high collection rate is impossible to achieve without consumer involvement, as currently only 35% of e-waste is officially reported as collected and recycled, and a lack of public awareness prevents states from developing circular savings for electronic equipment.
”ECOTIC will promote this year the WEEE Day and will organize, together with the partners, a series of activities dedicated to the users of electrical and electronic equipment in order to make them aware of the importance of WEEE collection and recycling and to make known the solutions on who have them at their disposal for this purpose ", said Valentin Negoita, president of ECOTIC.
For details: www.weee-forum.org/iewd-about/