Six leading European electronics recycling companies have joined forces to form the European Electronics Recyclers Association (EERA). The member companies - Coolrec, Immark, MIREC, R-plus, Sims Group U.K. and Stena Technoworld - have been active in electronics recycling for many years in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Poland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the U.K., France and Switzerland.
The formation of this non-profit association to represent the interests of Europe’s waste electrical and electronic (WEEE) recyclers is indeed timely, according to the new organisation. Transposition of the EU’s WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC into national legislation is at various stages throughout the different member states, while producers and importers of electronic and electrical equipment are organising take-back schemes to meet their legal obligations.
EERA’s objectives include working to harmonise national and international regulations on WEEE recycling ‘to obtain a free market for demand and supply of services’. EERA also plans to promote electronics recycling industry in the EU political arena as well as call for environmentally-sound operating practices in relation to WEEE recycling. One of the new association’s task forces is already drafting a policy paper on rules for monitoring compliance.
Membership of the association is open to Europe-based companies that treat and process WEEE in line with the association’s code of conduct.
EERA, led by Executive Secretary Norbert Zonneveld, is based in Arnhem, The Netherlands, Phone: +31 26 3702-008, Fax: +31 26 3702-007, E-mail: eera@chello.nl
