The one-for-zero decree and the commitment of consortia have delivered some results. But more needs to be done, because the WEEE collected and sent for recycling amounts to less than half.
Old smartphones, TVs, hairdryers, microwaves, washing machines. An endless list of household appliances, large and small, that sooner or later need replacing. And that become WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment). According to the latest available data, in 2017, 382,544 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment were collected, a figure representing approximately 40 per cent of units placed on the market. The numbers drop, however, to 19 per cent for TVs and monitors and to 20 per cent for other small household appliances.
But since the entry into force of the one-for-zero decree, which obliges retail outlets with a floor area of more than 400 square metres to accept small household appliances free of charge and without any obligation to purchase, something appears to be moving. Thanks to the agreement signed in 2016 between Remedia, one of the consortia operating across Italy for the collection and management of WEEE, and Aires (Associazione italiana retailer elettrodomestici specializzati), whose members include Euronics, Expert, Gre and Unieuro, the small WEEE collected last year exceeded 28,300 kilograms: from razors to remote controls, from old mobile phones to light sources. In 2 years, around 170,000 small household appliances (measuring no more than 25 cm in length) have been collected, with a higher percentage in southern Italian regions such as Calabria, probably due to a lower availability of recycling drop-off points compared to the northern regions.
"It is thanks to agreements like these that great strides are made, including in the collection of waste from small electronic devices, for which Italy has always recorded return rates that are still too low compared to other European countries: we are talking about the collection of 1 kg for every 6 purchased in Italy, against a European average of 1 kg for every 4," said Danilo Bonato, managing director of Remedia, during the presentation of the data at Ecomondo. Indeed, EU targets on WEEE are becoming ever more stringent: by 2019, Italy will need to manage 85 per cent of the total WEEE generated by households or manage 65 per cent of equipment placed on the market. Today we barely reach 40 per cent. That is too low a figure when one considers that every Italian produces almost 13 kg per head of electrical waste, amounting to just under 800,000 tonnes a year at national level.
To further encourage the collection of small electronic devices, the consortium has entered into a collaboration with Ancra (Associazione nazionale commercianti radio televisione elettrodomestici dischi e affini), which has decided voluntarily to follow the one-for-zero decree, even though it is not required to do so under the legislation: the pilot project envisages launching collection at a selected number of smaller retail outlets. "This agreement will help us to raise awareness and change consumers' mindset," said Dario Bossi, vice-president of the association. "This initiative will make it possible to offer members an additional service while at the same time helping to raise citizens' awareness of the correct collection of small household appliances." Having the opportunity for the small retailer to accept free of charge a type of waste that is so complex to manage only increases the chances of collection and recycling.
But if we look beyond our own borders, the figures are discouraging: electronic waste worldwide amounts to approximately 50 million tonnes a year, and of these only 20 per cent is recycled in accordance with the regulations, despite 66 per cent of the world's population being covered by legislation on electronic waste. The remainder — around 40 million tonnes — is dumped in landfill, incinerated or managed illegally.