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ISO 9001 due in 2010
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Environmental Solutions - WEEE

Why do you have to change how you design products?

• There are Legislation WEEE Targets that have to be met. These targets include (RRRs)
  • It’s a simple equation [Recovery = Reuse + Recycle]
  • Recoverable Components and Materials
    
  • Re-useable Components and Materials
    
  • Recyclable Components and Materials
    
• Penalties assessed when targets are missed
  
  • Monetary fines
    
  • Redesign costs
• Reduce the cost of your Design Process
  
  • Greater recovery value in properly designed product
    
  • Revenue Share with Product/Component Re-use

1. Large Household Appliances
2. Small Household Appliances
3. IT & Telecommunications Equipment
4. Consumer Equipment
5. Lighting Equipment
6. Electrical and Electronic Equipment
7. Toys
8. Medical Equipment (With the exception of all implanted and infected products)
9. Monitoring and Control Instruments
10. Automatic Dispensers

Since this list in non-exhaustive, Member States could in principle include other products in national legislation implementing the WEEE Directive, if they should so choose. The purpose of this Directive is, as a first priority, the prevention of WEEE and in addition, to promote the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of such wastes so as to reduce disposal. It also seeks to improve the environmental performance of all operations involved in the life cycle of electrical and electronic equipment and in particular those operators directly involved in the treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment. Equipment is defined as, “…dependent upon electric current or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly and equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement of such currents and fields” [WEEE Article 3 para. A]

The intent of this Directive is to ensure that the product is well documented such that a Collector/Recycler has the appropriate documentation that will enable them to dismantle and recover, in particular the reuse and recycling of WEEE, their components, and materials. Member States are taking the appropriate measures so that producers do not prevent, through specific design features or manufacturing processes, WEEE from being reused and/or recycled.

Five (5) major actions were to take place by August of 2005 and they were:

1. All EEE must be labeled with the “crossed-out waste bin symbol”
2. Producers must mark EEE w/ date product was introduced to the market
3. Producers must provide a financial guarantee regarding future recycling of NEW WEEE
4. Producers must provide recyclers & pre-treatment facilities w/ information about how to dispose, handle and disassemble EEE
5. Producers must identify the name of their recyclers

Many companies do not realize that these requirements are past due and have focused more on the RoHS Compliance side of the business. Though RoHS is absolutely important to continued revenue recognition both on New Product Introduction (NPI) and Sustaining Products ensuring there are conversion plans in place; the WEEE compliance is as equally important to the Producer. Many EU Member countries do not have procedures and/or processes in place for the WEEE registration and Take Back programs although many are closing in on those objectives.

The Registration rules vary from EU Member State to State as do the Take-Back procedures and processes. In Austria, there is no registration required other than the end user is responsible for the Take Back of the WEEE product. In Belgium for example, the government has specified that producers will deal with only one (1) Belgium designated Collector/Recycler, a company named Recupel. In Sweden and Finland, you must have a country address in order to register. In Germany, you don’t need a country address but you do need a country bank account. There are no standard forms or processes to follow, each state is independent of the other. The majority of EU Member states require registration in the specific country language. Some allow on-line registration whilst others do not. This all translates into a very convoluted and complicated process.

Let M-Cubed Global provide with you a full turn-key solution so that you can focus on your core competencies. Let us take the headache away.

M-Cubed Global solution enables:

• Clients to focus on core competency
• Client Member State Registration Assistance
• All reporting of target metrics to Member States
• Compliant documentation w/ each product shipped
• Compliant documentation w/ each Member State
• Tracking and reporting of all Product elements
• Simplified WEEE Management for the Client

M-Cubed Global working with our legal counsel (Baker & McKenzie) can in combination ensure that the registration process is complete and done correctly. Let M-Cubed Global be your WEEE Solution.

At the end add a button that links them to the “What is Asset Management?” The button should be labled,

HOW CAN YOU PAY FOR YOUR WEEE EFFORTS?

IF YOU PROVIDE AND/OR CONSIGN M-CUBED YOUR COMPANY’S E&O AND FACILITY E-WASTE, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO OFFSET OR COMPLETELY PAY FOR YOUR WEEE COMPLIANCE COSTS.