Electronic waste by country
South Korea, Japan and Taiwan ensure manufacturer responsibility by demanding that they recycle 75% of their annual production.
[7] Additionally, the European Union has implemented several directives and regulations that place the responsibility for "recovery, reuse and recycling" on the manufacturer.
[9] However, the application of the WEEE Directive has been criticized for implementing the EPR concept in a collective manner, and thereby losing the competitive incentive of individual manufacturers to be rewarded for their green design.
[10] In December 2008 a draft revision to the Directive proposed a market-based goal of 65%, which is 22 kg per capita in the case of the United Kingdom.
The various annexes define hazardous waste in Canada, and also deem any waste that is "...considered or defined as hazardous under the legislation of the country receiving it and is prohibited by that country from being imported or conveyed in transit" to be covered under Canadian regulation and therefore subject to prior informed consent procedures.
The principal problem being, the non-functioning electronic device is at high risk of being disassembled in some far away e-waste dumping ground.
Countries such as “Colombia, Costa Rica, and Chile have been the first in the region to introduce EPR as a policy approach that seeks to address the problems of pollution and overflowing landfills by implementing alternatives for waste management”.
In 2009, the Chilean National Environmental Commission identified Chile as “one of the countries with the highest rates of waste generation in Latin America”.
[25] They’ve since been working to implement a law, with the help of the National Environment Commission (CONAMA), that would add regulatory power over waste production.
In August 2013, the Chilean congress approved a law that established a framework for waste management, EPR and the encouragement of recycling.
In 2013, Colombia implemented an EPR law that ultimately focused on enforcing guidelines for managing electronic waste.
Additionally, the country has developed a number of “post-consumer programs for used batteries, medicine, computers and printers, fluorescent light bulbs, used tires and pesticide containers”.
The Electrical Equipment Product Stewardship Sub-Group examined the issue and decided that computer and television waste were 'wastes of concern'.
In November 2008 the EPHC committed to the development of a national solution to the issue of managing television and computer waste.
[27] This action culminated in the release of a package of documents designed to enable public consultation on the various options for managing end-of-life televisions and computers on 16 July 2009.
The preferred option will be developed by government through the public consultation process prior to the next meeting of the EPHC on 5 November 2009 in Perth where State and Federal Minister will adopt a position.
[29] A series of public meetings were held in Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne to receive feedback to the government's proposals.
PSA works closely with both state and federal governments along with other industry associations to advance product stewardship in Australia.
