Concerns over electrical and electronic waste

Living in a world where technology constantly changes, society has become accustomed to replacing electrical and electronic equipment faster than ever. Naturally we have to have the latest, because of the benefits they afford us through more comfort, more efficiency, better quality, etc. But what happens to the 'old' equipment? Ordinarily we just discard it and it ends up as landfill.

Until recently, few of us knew or cared about what was being put into landfill as waste. Environmentalists have been screaming for years that we're polluting the ground with toxic heavy metals, non-biodegradable plastics and other environmentally unfriendly substances that are in electrical and electronic equipment. In the US, it's estimated that waste from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) represents 2% of landfill, but 70% of their overall toxic waste.

The issue isn't just about trying to recycle everything, because many of the components used in electrical fittings and equipment aren't recyclable. For example, the plastics used in cable insulation and jacketing contain halogen flame retardants, which are very difficult to recycle.

Many countries around the world have started imposing strict laws for the disposal of hazardous substances; and many manufacturers are 'coming to the party' with initiatives to minimise the level of potentially hazardous substances in their electrical and electronic products.

The most prominent programs are 'Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment' (WEEE) and 'Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances' (RoHS). You've probably heard of both, but since they're not mandated in Australia or New Zealand yet, many of us in the electrical industry aren't familiar with them or what they mean to our industry. So here's a brief summary of these two programs.

WEEE

WEEE, also referred to as electronic waste or e-waste, is waste from broken or unwanted electrical or electronic appliances that can't be reused or recycled. Much of this waste is considered non-biodegradable or toxic, so some European countries started banning WEEE from landfills back in the 1990s. In 2002, the European Union introduced the WEEE Directive which holds manufacturers responsible for e-waste disposal at end-of-life with many other countries are following suit to varying degrees.

Up to 38 chemical elements are categorised into WEEE items including toxic substances like lead, mercury and cadmium; carcinogenic substances like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in PVC-coated components and lead found in CRT glass.

The WEEE directive makes equipment manufacturers financially or physically responsible for their equipment at its end-of-life under a policy known as extended producer responsibility, which provided an incentive for companies to design equipment with less costs and liabilities when it reached its end-of-life.

RoHS

European Directive 2002/95/EC on RoHS was released in July 2006, defining preventive measures on a legal basis to restrict the use of certain hazardous substances in new electronic and electrical equipment. It was created to protect human and animal health, reduce the occupational risk to recycling personnel, reduce the need for special handling and treatment and place fewer toxins into the environment.

RoHS is closely linked with the WEEE Directive. While WEEE sets collection, recycling and recovery targets for electrical products, RoHS aims to reduce harmful substances at the source.

Currently, the RoHS directive identifies six restricted substances:

• Lead (solder alloys, PCB coating)
• Mercury (fluorescent lamps, switches)
• Cadmium (switches, paint)
• Hexavalent chromium (metal plating)
• Polybrominated biphenyls (flame retardants)
• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardants)

Many manufacturers are finding RoHS compliance costly and technically challenging, but to ensure their products can be freely specified and used around the world, they view compliance as essential.

To achieve RoHS compliance, manufacturers must find alternatives to the restricted materials. However, the RoHS directive doesn't call for 100% elimination of these substances, but sets maximum concentration values (MCVs). These are 0.1% by weight (1000 ppm) in lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers; and 0.01% by weight (100 ppm) for cadmium.

According to the RoHS Directive, EEE refers to equipment with a voltage rating not exceeding 1000 VAC and 1500 VDC. In domestic applications, they are categorised as:

• Category 1: Large household appliances (fridges, washing machines, electric ovens)
• Category 2: Small household appliances (vacuum cleaners, toasters, clocks)
• Category 3: IT and telecommunications equipment (computers, photocopiers, phones)
• Category 4: Consumer equipment (TVs, VCRs, audio equipment)
• Category 5: Lighting equipment (fluorescent lamps, discharge lamps)
• Category 6: Electrical and electronic tools (drills, sewing machines, lawnmowers)
• Category 7: Toys, leisure and sports equipment (video consoles, train sets)
• Category 10: Automatic dispensers (drink machines)

RoHS places the responsibility of compliance on the producer of the equipment, who could be the manufacturer, importer, exporter or reseller of EEE. They must self-declare compliance with RoHS and be able to demonstrate compliance.

The RoHS Directive has become a de facto global environmental standard for the world's electrical and electronics industries. For example, the California Electronics Waste Recycling Act uses the RoHS Directive as its guide. China's government has initiated the 'China RoHS Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products' program. Thailand has created a governmental committee to monitor the RoHS and WEEE Directives and develop a plan of action. Many other countries are at various stages of developing their own versions of the RoHS or WEEE directives, with approaches varying from the mandatory requirements in Europe and Japan to voluntary take-back schemes in the US.

This preliminary economic and environmental assessment is to estimate the impact of three possible policy options for reducing the level of six hazardous substances in EEPs in Australia. The assessment will inform the development of an Australian policy on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). The assessment is 'preliminary' and is intended to identify the scope of the issue rather than assess RoHS implications in full detail.

The Australian government is working towards RoHS and WEEE policies. Three scenarios identified in a major roundtable forum are currently being analysed before embarking on a formal program:

• No government intervention - no action to harmonise with the EU's RoHS Directive;
• Voluntary code of practice plus possible co-regulation
• National legislation - mandatory obligations under RoHS legislation

Regardless of the path taken, the impact to the electrical industry will be significant.