Event report: Reflecting on 20 Years of WEEE at the EucoLight 10th Anniversary

Marking two decades of the WEEE Directive, the EucoLight 10th Anniversary in Brussels brought together policymakers, recyclers, and industry leaders to reflect on the progress made and look ahead to the future of electronic waste management in Europe.

With home appliances accounting for more than half of electronic waste by weight, the sector has played a leading role in building Europe’s circular economy. “WEEE created an ecosystem that goes from waste management to material recovery, with a conversion rate as high as 95% by weight,” said Paolo Falcioni, Director General of APPLiA.

Since its adoption, the WEEE Directive has enabled the creation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems, through which producers finance and organise the collection and treatment of end-of-life appliances. These systems, supported by Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), form the backbone of e-waste operations across Europe.

Strong collaboration between producers, recyclers, policymakers, and PROs has been key to increasing collection rates, raising consumer awareness, and developing better recycling practices. APPLiA highlighted the value of platforms like I4R, and projects such as ECOSWEEE, in strengthening this cooperation.

Looking ahead, the upcoming revision of the WEEE Directive was seen as a crucial opportunity to address remaining gaps. “The revision is a golden opportunity to ensure the Directive remains fit for purpose,” stressed Falcioni. Industry priorities include:

• Clearly defining the responsibilities of all actors in the value chain
  
  
• Enforcing separate collection to improve recycling quality
  
  
• Setting minimum quality standards for recycled materials
  
  
• Tackling free-riding, particularly in online sales channels
  
  
• Harmonising reporting obligations to ensure fair compliance
  

The success of the WEEE framework will depend on a shared commitment from all actors involved. Building on two decades of implementation, the home appliance sector stands ready to support a more harmonised and effective WEEE system that reflects today’s market realities and delivers on Europe’s circular ambitions.