20060320 德國將正式實施WEEE生產商責任

德國將正式實施WEEE生產商責任

德國消費者自3月24日起，能夠免費拿電子及電器設備廢料至地方回收點回收。

◎ 生產商負擔回收費用
德國政府表示從這個月起，即將開始準備實施生產商責任，同時，歐盟WEEE指令的條款亦將同步生效。有關WEEE指令的實施，德國領先英國一步，提早數個月採用歐盟該指令。目前，德國的電子生產商必需負責支付收集電子及電器設備廢料至指定回收地點的費用和循環再利用相關費用。另一方面，德國市政府提供許許多多的回收地點，必須強調一點，消費者毋須支付任何回收費用。但是，德國WEEE法規強烈要求消費者必須負責將全部的電子及電器設備廢料分類回收。除此之外，德國議會於3月16日採用一項法令，該法令規定電子業者要重複使用老舊淘汰的電子設備，以達到循環再利用目的。生產商在銷售新電子設備的同時，必須要收集電子及電器設備廢料。德國與英國制度顯著不同之處在於，生產商不需為法令實施以前投放在市場的電子及電器設備負起責任。

◎ 生產商須向結算中心登記
自2005年11月起，所有有意在德國銷售電子及電器設備的生產商皆須向結算中心登記。截至2月份為止，聯邦環境局已公佈4,225家完成登記的生產商。生產商登記時，必須提供保證金，負責支付電子及電器設備廢料的循環再利用費用。此外，他們也要說明在市場銷售、收集、循環再利用的電子及電器設備之類型及數量。結算中心將根據這些資料計算應回收的電子及電器設備廢料數量及某年度生產商應分擔的廢料管理費。未登記的生產商將不得在德國市場銷售相關產品。自2006年3月24日開始，電子及電器設備廢料回收計劃亦正式實施。
資料來源: http://www.letsrecycle.com/legislation/news.jsp?story=5411

 日本電子產品 符合綠色潮流
隨著歐盟於2006年實施《電子及電器設備廢料指令》(WEEE)及《限用六大項有害物質指令》(RoHS)，監管廢料循環再利用及廠商使用有害物質的情況。主要倚重出口業務的日本電子大廠積極回應，紛紛推出有助解決未來環境需求的「綠色」產品。

◎新力等大廠 關注環保議題
根據業者分析員表示，日本大廠積極擴展市場，但並非採取競相迎合新環保法規的短視手法，而是著重在全球未來環境需要，研發相關技術及提出解決方案。新力(Sony Corp)多款暢銷產品，例如:手提式音樂播放機和電子遊戲機等，均已逐漸捨棄石油化工塑料，改用可再生的生物塑料製造，產品外殼亦多以未加工或循環再利用金屬壓鑄。日本NTT (NTT DoCoMo) 及日電(NEC)研發出一款第三代(3G)手機，產品外殼有75％以環保生物塑料製造。

◎綠色潮流 擴及眾多領域
無可避免的，現在電子產品供應商亦須致力達成環保效益目標，遵守營運和產品的環保規定。大部分電子產品銷售商均要求供應商遵守環保標準，例如產品應具備節能功能、可以循環再利用以及不含有害物質等。新力、日立、日電和東芝等電子及電器產品廠商，以及豐田、日產和本田等主要車廠，均在採購合約中訂明環保條款。大勢所趨，預料這股綠色潮流將擴及玩具、禮品及家庭用品等多個領域。
資料來源: http://international.tdctrade.com/content.aspx?data=international_content_en&contentid=562739&SRC=BNT_AsiAus


Germany Brings WEEE Producer Responsibility into Force

German householders will be able to take back waste electrical and electronic equipment to local collection points free of charge from March 24.

◎ Producer will be paying for WEEE Collections
The German government has said it is now ready for producer responsibility to start this month, bringing into force the terms of Europe's WEEE Directive. In a move that could be many months ahead of the UK's adoption of the EU Directive, electrical producers will be paying for end-of-life appliances to be collected from designated collection points and recycled. Germany's municipal authorities are providing many of the collection points, but will not have to pay towards collections. German householders are required by the new regulations to keep their WEEE separate from the residual waste stream. German businesses will also have their old electrical equipment recycled under the "Act Governing the Sale, Return and Environmentally Sound Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment", which is to be adopted by Germany's parliament on March 16. For businesses, producers will arrange for collections of end-of-life electronics when supplying new equipment. But unlike the expected UK system, they will not have any responsibility to handle goods placed on the market before the Act comes into force.

◎ Producers require to register to a “Clearing House”
The sharing out of producer responsibility is being managed by a "Clearing House". This central register – the EAR Elektro-Altgerate – was first set up in August 2004 to co-ordinate the supply of collection containers to designated collection points for WEEE. The Clearing House calculates the quantities of WEEE for each registered producer to collect from public waste management authorities and reports the figures to regulatory bodies. Additionally, the German WEEE will come into effect on Mar. 24, 2006.

Source: http://www.letsrecycle.com/legislation/news.jsp?story=5411

 Japanese Electronics go “Green”
With the EU introducing recycling and anti-toxic hazard regulations - the so-called WEEE and RoHS imperatives - in 2006, Japan's export-sensitive electronics giants are becoming increasingly intent on solving future requirements under the heading of "green issues".

◎ Sony Takes Green Issues to Heart
Japanese companies are intent on enlarging their markets by identifying future environmental needs, developing technologies and pro-actively marketing solutions on a global basis, rather than racing to meet new environmentally-impactful requirements, according to industry analysts. Sony Corp has switched from petroleum-based plastics to renewable bio-plastic products and virgin or re-cycled metals for casings of many popular items. Such engineering is now used in portable music players and electronics games. NTT DoCoMo and NEC have developed a mobile phone using an environmentally-friendly bio-plastic material for 75% of the surface of the 3G device.

◎ Green Trend Would Extend to Many Sectors
Inevitably, these goals for environmental efficiencies and compliance for operations and products have involved suppliers, including those on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong. Suppliers are required to themselves adhere to standards of producing goods that require less power consumption, can be recycled and don't contain hazardous substances. Electronics and electrical goods makers such as Sony Corp, Hitachi, NEC and Toshiba, as well as auto producers Toyota, Nissan and Honda all specify "green" terms in their procurement contracts. The trend can be expected to extend to sectors including novelty products, toys, gifts and household goods.

Source: http://international.tdctrade.com/content.aspx?data=international_content_en&contentid=562739&SRC=BNT_AsiAus