About six months ago we wrote about the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), recycling fees, and the intention of companies in our industry to set up an alternative WEEE management body that would handle the sector’s products.
Given the seriousness of the issue, and in order to keep our readers informed, we consider it appropriate to look at it in more detail, along with the obligations that current legislation places on the parties concerned (producers and importers of the above products). Specifically:
? On 17/6/2004, the approval of the collective alternative management system for waste electrical and electronic equipment “ΑΝΑΚΥΚΛΩΣΗ ΣΥΣΚΕΥΩΝ ΑΝΩΝΥΜΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ” was published in the Government Gazette (issue no. 905).
? From 1/7/2004, producers and importers of electrical and electronic equipment have been obliged either to join the approved collective alternative management system for waste electrical and electronic equipment or to set up individual or collective alternative management systems of their own for the take-back and recycling of their products, which require approval from the E.O.E.D.S.A.P. (National Organisation for the Alternative Management of Packaging and Other Products). Failure to join an alternative management system entails heavy fines for offenders.
? An importer or producer who joins the approved collective alternative management system is required to pay contributions retroactively from the date the system was approved, that is, 1/7/2004.
? Under Presidential Decree no. 117 (Government Gazette no. 82/5-3-2004), all electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market from 13 August 2005 must carry the special recycling symbol.
? From 1/1/2006, distributors are required to put on the market only electrical and electronic equipment that is covered by an approved alternative management system, and to obtain it from importers or producers who are entered in the Register of Producers. Failure to comply entails serious administrative, civil and criminal penalties for offenders.
? For companies in our sector in particular, Article 4 of Presidential Decree 117 provides that from 1 July 2006, incandescent lamps and household luminaires placed on the market must not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or (PBDE), with certain exceptions.
To conclude our brief overview of recycling and the issues we believe are of interest to those working in lighting, we should mention the establishment of a new alternative management system for the products of companies in our sector, under the name ΦΩΤΟΚΥΚΛΩΣΗ Α.Ε. The main shareholders in this company (ΦΩΤΟΚΥΚΛΩΣΗ Α.Ε.) are 48 individuals representing some of the largest companies in our industry, and, as far as we know, new shareholders may also join, provided representatives of companies in the sector are interested.
We should note that the new body (ΦΩΤΟΚΥΚΛΩΣΗ Α.Ε.) has not yet received approval from the E.O.E.D.S.A.P., and that, according to our information, the contributions for those who join the new system will be significantly lower than those of ΑΝΑΚΥΚΛΩΣΗ ΣΥΣΚΕΥΩΝ Α.Ε. It goes without saying that approval of the system by the E.O.E.D.S.A.P. is a prerequisite.
