MEPs Tackle WEEE

With Basingstoke and Deane not having the best recycling record we heard what our MEP's are doing to help, as with the following from Catherine Bearders' monthly newsletter.

This month I joined a majority of MEPs in voting for new measures to promote the recycling of millions of tonnes of electrical and electronic waste (WEEE).

Although many items, such as mobile phones, contain valuable rare metals that are in short supply, only one third of Europe's electronic waste mountain currently reaches professional recyclers.

The European Parliament has sent a strong message that public authorities, manufacturers and consumers all need to play their part to ensure we collect and recycle more of our electrical and electronic goods and I hope by cutting red-tape for companies and setting new targets for collecting and recycling, we can encourage more people to reuse their electronic equipment and electrical waste.

Thanks to Liberal Democrat pressure, the Parliament has also recommended tougher measures against the dumping of electronic waste in developing countries. I am pressuring the Commission on this serious problem of Europe dumping its toxic waste on the developing world

As well as yielding health and environmental benefits, proper treatment of e-waste can help reclaim valuable raw materials. We recommended a 50-75% recycling target (depending on category) and support a new 5% re-use goal.