Electrical and Electronic

Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment management

EEE Extended Producers Responsibility

According to the Decree-Law no. 152-D / 2017, of December 11, no. 1 of Article 3, the “producer of the product” is “a natural or legal person who, regardless of the selling technique used, including sales made by means of distance communication and not including those exclusively financing under a financing agreement, unless it also acts as a producer within the meaning of the following sub-paragraphs:

If the company does not have facilities in Portugal and works with a foreign VAT, it must elect an authorized representative to assume the legal obligations in force.

Extended Producer Responsibility video

Sustainable pratices in the Electrical and Electronic Equiment (EEE) life cycle

Framework

The commercialization of EEE has increased significantly in recent decades, as a result of technological advances and rapid economic growth. Continuous innovation and production growth in in this sector have led to the development of different types of these products and, as a consequence, there is a greater diversity of Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

The application of Life Cycle Analysis allows companies to systematically identify and assess environmental impacts at all stages of EEE life cycle, from the extraction or raw materials synthesis, through production, transportation, use and resulting waste destination. With this information companies can design more sustainable EEE, contribute to the efficient use of resources and recovery of secondary raw materials with value, as well as prepare products for their reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery, reducing the amount of waste.

Through a preventive approach, it is possible to optimize EEE environmental performance and preserve its functional characteristics.

Producer Extended Responsibility

Regarding the Decree-Law no. 152-D, of 11 December, which establishes the legal regime to which the management of specific waste streams (such as WEEE) is covered, the principle of extended producer responsibility must include, also, sustainable processes in the products design and manufacture in order to facilitate and optimize their reuse, dismantling, recycling and other forms of recovery, as waste.

Thus, products put on the market must reflect concerns both in terms of the resources use global impacts, other impacts arising from the production and management of waste, as well as contributing to sustainable development, through practices such as:

  • Eco-efficiency – reducing the quantities of raw materials or using recyclable and / or recycled materials;
  • Ecodesign – product design in order to facilitate its dismantling, recycling or recovery, with less content of dangerous substances.

In accordance with the principle of extended producer responsibility, the producer is responsible for a significant part of the environmental impacts throughout its life cycle, especially in terms of the design and production of the products, which impacts will necessarily be reflected at the end of its life.

How ERP Portugal can help

ERP Portugal, as a compliance scheme licensed by the Portuguese State, guarantees to its Members, Producers of EEE, the legal fulfillment of their obligations, in accordance with Decree-Law no. 152-D / 2017, of December 11.

Our team is available to support in all phases of the joining process, including registration in the Portuguese Environment Agency SILiAmb platform, identification of products put on the national market and which are covered by the scope of the activity of the compliance scheme, until submission of the annual declarations.

To join ERP Portugal, the Producer must:

1. Pre-registration of Producer of EEE and/or BA in the Portuguese Environment Agency;
2. Register the company data at ERP Portugal website;
3. Send a copy of the company’s commercial certificate or the access code to the permanent certificate;
4. Signing the Member contract.

Member Contract Template

Addendum Agreement Bonus

The condition of small member applies to producers whose weight of EEE put on the national market is equivalent to 1 tonne or less.

This classification can have two frameworks:
(a) when the put on the market does not reach 1 tonne, but the financial value calculated following the submission of the annual declaration is more than 80 € (eighty euros), producers shall be required to pay the amount resulting from the declaration;
(b) if the put on the market exceeds 1 tonne, but the financial value calculated following the submission of the annual declaration is less than € 80 (eighty euros), the producers shall pay the minimum annual financial contribution only.

Small WEEE Member Conditions

By the end of 2017, ERP Portugal has collected over 187 000 tonnes of WEEE.

More information at info@erp-portugal.pt

Members useful information

Recycling

Which are the WEEE categories?

There are different categories of WEEE, regarding its composition and ways of management, treatment, and recycling:

The EU has introduced the WEEE Directive and the RoHS Directive to tackle the issue of the growing amount of WEEE.

WEEE Directive – here