%0 Journal Article
%T Overview of the WEEE Directive and Its Implementation in the Nordic Countries: National Realisations and Best Practices
%A Jenni Yl£¿-Mella
%A Kari Poikela
%A Ulla Lehtinen
%A Pia Tanskanen
%A Elisabeth Rom¨¢n
%A Riitta L. Keiski
%A Eva Pongr¨¢cz
%J Journal of Waste Management
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/457372
%X Electronic devices and mobile applications have become a part of everyday life. Fast technological progress and rapid product obsolescence have led to the rapid growth of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Due to hazardous substances and also substantial amounts of valuable materials contained in electrical and electronic equipment, the European Union has implemented Directives related to WEEE, in order to reduce negative environmental and health impacts and to improve material recovery of valuable substances from WEEE. This paper provides an overview of the WEEE Directive and its implementation to national legislations in Finland, Sweden, and Norway and, further, describes how the nationwide WEEE recovery infrastructures in the Nordic countries have been built. The Nordic WEEE management systems are evaluated from the point of resource efficiency and best practices. Evidently, the WEEE management systems as established in the Nordic countries have advantages because the WEEE collection rates in 2012 were 12£¿kg/inhab./year, in Finland, 16£¿kg/inhab./year, in Sweden, and 27£¿kg/ inhab./year, in Norway, despite their sparsely populated nature. The Swedish and Norwegian experiences, especially, with long history of WEEE recovery indicate that increasing consumer awareness leads to more environmentally sound behaviour and improves recovery efficiency. 1. Introduction Production and use of electronic and electrical equipment have significantly increased during the last three decades; electronic devices and new applications have become a part of everyday life due to technological innovations. Fast technological progress, market expansion to developing countries, and product obsolescence have also led to the rapid growth of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Due to burgeoning amounts and the complex mixture of materials and hazardous substances contained in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), environmental and health impacts of WEEE have become increased concerns. While hazardous substances present in electronic equipment are not likely to be released during their regular use, they may pose hazards during waste treatment and disposal. In the mid-1990s, more than 90% of WEEE was landfilled, incinerated, or recovered without pretreatment and, therefore, a large proportion of hazardous substances found in the municipal waste stream came from WEEE. Already at that time, the amount of WEEE arising as waste was estimated to be around 6 million tonnes in the European Union (EU) and the growth rate of WEEE was expected to be 3¨C5% per
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jwm/2014/457372/