Introducing product takeback laws

Implementation

In 2001 there were nine countries that now require electronics takeback. Within five years, such laws are predicted to be in about 22 countries worldwide.

In 2001, the European Parliament cleared a draft directive requiring countries to mandate "take back" of a wide variety of electronics, from computers to tools to dispensing equipment to toys and sports machines to medical equipment. Spare parts and cables are included in the regulation. Target recovery rates by 2006 are 70% for consumer equipment 85% for total recovery.

Counter-claim

Industry could face an expensive patchwork of uncontrolled collection organizations unless national governments build in some language to standardize how the collection organizations require data and fees from manufacturers. Countries currently have totally different collection organizations for packaging, and this patchwork costs industry about US $10 billion per year in Europe alone.