On April 1 2005, Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic will launch a Europe-wide recycling management company - EcologyNet Europe (ENE), based in Wiesbaden, Germany. This company will help manufacturers and importers of appliances fulfil their duties for take-back, logistics and recycling which they are obliged to do under the EU WEEE Directive on waste from electrical and electronic equipment that will come into effect on August 13 2005.
Since 1999, Panasonic has been conducting in-depth studies and pilot projects in Europe in order to ensure that it is prepared ahead of time for coming EU directives such as WEEE or RoHS (Restriction on Hazardous substances), the company says.
In June 2004, Panasonic drew up a recycling concept to meet the requirements of the EU WEEE Directive. Two other brands, Thomson and JVC, contributed to this concept.
ENE will offer its services to all manufacturers of electric and electronics appliances as long as relevant laws allow. The manufacturers will have the advantage of individualised recycling services carried out by a single service provider, ENE, who knows manufacturing and recycling of electric and electronics appliances. ENE will start be offering its services in Germany, with a view to expanding them in the other 24 EU member countries when Industry or Sector related schemes are not feasible or cost competitive.
The company’s know-how is a result of Panasonic’s several years of experience in Japan. There, EcologyNet Ltd. was launched in 2001, taking on the entire recycling process management for electric and electronic waste, like its European sister company. On an annual basis, approximately 3.3 kilograms of televisions, refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners per inhabitant, are collected and recycled by the electrical and electronics industry of Japan. At the same time, Panasonic founded a research and recycling centre in Japan that develops and tests both new products and recycling technologies for the future - the Matsushita Eco-Technology Centre (METEC). With the background of this expertise, Panasonic can cover the complete process from collection to re-use of recycled materials.
Acknowledgement
For more information: www.ecologynet-europe.com
