The cost of environmental compliance is growing.

Already, billions of dollars have been spent on getting parts ready to meet the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. But there’s more - much more - as it turns out, and those costs are going to end up being passed along to consumers in slightly higher retail prices.

The current estimates for monitoring compliance within Europe run at about $615m (€500m) to more than $1.1bn (€900m) per year, according to an official at the European Commission in Brussels. The Commission created the RoHS rules, as well as the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations, which the member states adopted.

The Commission's role then has been to ensure that all member states live up to their commitments and pass laws recommended by the Commission. The Commission also published guidance documents to help member states implement the regulations.

Of the estimated total cost per year, about $370m (€300m) to $735m (€600m) will be spent on collection, and $245m(€200m) to $370m on recovery, reuse and recycling. The resulting price increase is estimated to range from one per cent for most electrical and electronic equipment to as much as three per cent for refrigerators, TV sets and monitors.

Member states were expected to create their own WEEE national laws by August 13. The national governments also are supposed to work with their environmental agencies to prepare them for their role in registering producers, which is to take place in January and February in preparation for the July 1, 2006, RoHS deadline.

To date all member states except France, Malta, Poland and the United Kingdom have communicated to the Commission the measures they have taken regarding WEEE. All have responded to RoHS, except for France and the United Kingdom. In keeping with its authority, the Commission has taken legal action to make these member states comply with its directives.

The Commission estimates that recycling of electronic devices will result in energy savings equal to 2.8 million tons of oil per year - if everything goes as planned, of course. And, according to plan, as of August 13 member states were supposed to have set up collection systems and producers of electric and electronic equipments should have provided procedures for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal. 

Collection centres provide places where consumers can hand in their old equipment on a one-to-one basis when they purchase a new product. In addition, there will be disposal centres where WEEE products can be turned in free of charge. All products sold after August 13 must be marked with a crossed-out rubbish bin, warning that the product can’t just be thrown away.

WEEE was passed in January 2003. At present, more than 90 per cent of electrical and electronic waste in Europe is dumped in a landfill, incinerated or recovered without any pre-treatment, thus releasing the pollutants into the environment, according to the European Commission. Data reveals that each European accumulated 14kg of waste equipment in 1998, and will buy 17kg to 20kg this year.

RoHS, which was also passed in January 2003, calls for a difficult and innovative role for electronic product manufacturers and suppliers. A number of substances used in equipment are hazardous and must not be used if alternatives are available. They include mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in electrical and electronic equipment.

An annex to RoHS contains a list of exemptions from the substance ban for which alternatives are not available. Also, exceptions can be made if use of the banned substances would further scientific or technological progress.

For more content relating to the WEEE Directive, please visit our guide to the WEEE Directive and UK WEEE regulations