Study on sources to gain a better understanding of waste streams available for collection
Alongside other WEEE take-back scheme operators (Ecologic and Soren) and the ADEME, we managed and completed a two-year study in 2021 carried out by the engineering firm, Sofies, on the sources of household WEEE, lamps, Professional WEEE and SFE generated in France each year and their destinations.
Key figures
This study has greatly improved our knowledge on the destination of these sources compared to studies carried out in 2012-2013.
Works
A source calculation tool based on several methods that can be regularly updated has been developed. Major field surveys were undertaken or used to estimate the destinations, notably:
- a survey of 6000 households on how they dispose of their EEE/WEEE,
- sampling of nearly 350 tonnes of metallic waste,
- an evaluation of used EEE using information from French Customs,
- the characterisation of residual household waste (Modecom),
- interviews.
The main stakes in destinations and “leakage” were assessed and recommendations were made on regulations, operations and the bettering of knowledge in order to improve the industry’s effectiveness in collection operations. These works were monitored by an advisory committee of thirty stakeholders (professional producers and operator organisations, NGOs, representatives of local authorities, etc.). Feedback on the findings took place in September-October 2021 with the participation of around one hundred stakeholders, including public authorities.
Sources of household WEEE
The findings of the study concluded that the amount of household WEEE sources stood at 1.5 million tonnes (22.3 kg/inhabitant) in 2019, of which:
Click on the + to discover the destinations of household WEEE
Sources of professional WEEE
Sources of professional WEEE are estimated at 323,000 tonnes in 2019, of which:
Click on the + to discover the destinations of professionnal WEEE
A new concept: sources open to collection
The study introduced the concept of sources that are open to collection by the authority approved industry, i.e., all WEEE streams generated in France for which the industry has the capacity to collect, to control and to influence. Thereby, 1.1 million tonnes, i.e. 61% of total sources, would therefore be open to collection by the authority approved WEEE industry.
Recommandations
The study puts forward many recommendations, including:
- sharing collection responsibilities with the public authorities through their role in monitoring and enforcing regulations combating illegal practices,
- extending reporting obligations to all of the industry’s stakeholders (waste operators, exporters, etc.),
- set collection targets for take-back scheme operators based on sources that are actually open to collection.
Lastly, the study provides some thoughts on the impact of reuse on the effectiveness of collection and on the introduction of hybrid objectives focusing on both collection and reuse.
