128
Keywords Cross-country comparison · Data Envelopment Analysis · Efficiency
measurement · Environmental regulation · Environmental challenges · European
Directives · European Union · E-waste · Management policy · Nonparametric
methods · Waste electrical and electronic equipment
7.1 Introduction
During the last decades, sales of electrical and electronic equipment (henceforth,
EEE) have increased exponentially worldwide (Pérez-Belis et al. 2015). This is
partly due to technological innovations and new applications of EEE, which have
become an essential part of human existence and day-to-day’s life (Ylä-Mella et al.
2014). However, the replacement of obsolete equipment has accelerated because of
the expansion of the innovation cycles, also making EEE a fast-growing source of
waste. As a consequence, the management of the increasing volume of waste electrical and electronic equipment (henceforth, WEEE or E-waste) that EEE generates
at its end-of-life has become a serious pollution problem (Kiddee et al. 2013), given
its potential toxicity to environment and human health if disposal protocols are not
properly managed (Townsend 2011). Under these circumstances, the effective and
responsible management of WEEE has come to be a global major concern, being a
priority target area to be regulated.
Accordingly, to address the environmental problems associated with the treatment and disposal of this particular form of hazardous waste, many countries have
passed a specific legislation in order to ensure the proper management of WEEE
(Pérez-Belis et al. 2015).
1
Specifically, they aim to preserve and protect the environment and the human health and to operate with prudency natural resources. In the
European case, the framework for WEEE management is enacted in the Directive
2012/19/EU.
2
Its main objective is to contribute to (i) the prevention of WEEE; (ii)
its reduction by encouraging the reuse, recycling, or recovery of such wastes; and
(iii) the efficient use of resources and the retrieval of valuable secondary raw materials. To this end, it pursues the involvement of all operators associated with the life
cycle of EEE, i.e., producers, distributors, consumers, and those operators directly
involved in the collection and treatment of WEEE.
Therefore, with the purpose of fulfilling the objectives of the European Union’s
environment policy and monitor the compliance of countries, the Directive introduces ambitious collection targets. They are based on the amount of WEEE generated (Article 7) and the reuse, recycling, and recovery of WEEE separately collected
after proper treatment (Article 11). Specifically, the Directive in its Annex V sets out
specific minimum quantitative recovery targets for different categories of WEEE,
evolving and increasing gradually over time as shown in Table 7.1. According to
this, Member States should adapt their national policies on the management of
1 See Ongondo et al. (2011) for a comprehensive review of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management regulations in various countries.
2 This Directive supplements the previous waste management legislation of the European Union,
namely, Directive 2002/95/EC, Directive 2008/98/EC, and Directive 2009/125/EC.
I. Narbón-Perpiñá and D. Prior
Keywords Cross-country comparison · Data Envelopment Analysis · Efficiency
measurement · Environmental regulation · Environmental challenges · European
Directives · European Union · E-waste · Management policy · Nonparametric
methods · Waste electrical and electronic equipment
7.1 Introduction
During the last decades, sales of electrical and electronic equipment (henceforth,
EEE) have increased exponentially worldwide (Pérez-Belis et al. 2015). This is
partly due to technological innovations and new applications of EEE, which have
become an essential part of human existence and day-to-day’s life (Ylä-Mella et al.
2014). However, the replacement of obsolete equipment has accelerated because of
the expansion of the innovation cycles, also making EEE a fast-growing source of
waste. As a consequence, the management of the increasing volume of waste electrical and electronic equipment (henceforth, WEEE or E-waste) that EEE generates
at its end-of-life has become a serious pollution problem (Kiddee et al. 2013), given
its potential toxicity to environment and human health if disposal protocols are not
properly managed (Townsend 2011). Under these circumstances, the effective and
responsible management of WEEE has come to be a global major concern, being a
priority target area to be regulated.
Accordingly, to address the environmental problems associated with the treatment and disposal of this particular form of hazardous waste, many countries have
passed a specific legislation in order to ensure the proper management of WEEE
(Pérez-Belis et al. 2015).
1
Specifically, they aim to preserve and protect the environment and the human health and to operate with prudency natural resources. In the
European case, the framework for WEEE management is enacted in the Directive
2012/19/EU.
2
Its main objective is to contribute to (i) the prevention of WEEE; (ii)
its reduction by encouraging the reuse, recycling, or recovery of such wastes; and
(iii) the efficient use of resources and the retrieval of valuable secondary raw materials. To this end, it pursues the involvement of all operators associated with the life
cycle of EEE, i.e., producers, distributors, consumers, and those operators directly
involved in the collection and treatment of WEEE.
Therefore, with the purpose of fulfilling the objectives of the European Union’s
environment policy and monitor the compliance of countries, the Directive introduces ambitious collection targets. They are based on the amount of WEEE generated (Article 7) and the reuse, recycling, and recovery of WEEE separately collected
after proper treatment (Article 11). Specifically, the Directive in its Annex V sets out
specific minimum quantitative recovery targets for different categories of WEEE,
evolving and increasing gradually over time as shown in Table 7.1. According to
this, Member States should adapt their national policies on the management of
1 See Ongondo et al. (2011) for a comprehensive review of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management regulations in various countries.
2 This Directive supplements the previous waste management legislation of the European Union,
namely, Directive 2002/95/EC, Directive 2008/98/EC, and Directive 2009/125/EC.
I. Narbón-Perpiñá and D. Prior