WEEE & (local) circular economy¶

Open questions¶

How does the supplier comply with regulation on waste and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)?
How does the supplier go beyond regulation on waste and WEEE?
Which actions does the supplier take to reduce the quantity of WEEE that it generates?

4.1 How does the supplier comply with regulation on waste and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)?¶

Rationale¶

70 % of WEEE generated by OECD countries flows into international trafficking. The figures are easy to verify and confirmed by Interpol. This trafficking transgresses the Basel Convention on hazardous substances and wastes, signed by 53 countries. Specific regulations exist, at least in these countries.

Evaluation criteria¶

Evaluation criterion	Recommended priority	Proposed weighting (total = 38 points)
The organisation must be able to quantify its annual generation of WEEE.	P1	6
The organisation knows and respects the regulations: it has a waste register that covers WEEE, kept for 3 years.	P1	6
For European countries, the organisation knows and respects the ERP (Extended Responsibility Producer) regulation. It is especially recommended to verify that the producer of the IT equipment is identified in the national register of allowed companies on the market.	P1	6
The organisation verifies that its subcontractor for WEEE treatment is qualified and certified to do it, and that it complies with national standards (CENELEC in Europe) or eco-labels (E.g. WEEElabex in Europe).	P1	6
The organisation knows its regulatory responsibility as a waste generator. For example, in France: any waste generator is responsible for the waste until its final destruction or value extraction (French environment Code), unless it is given back to the ERP.	P2	4
The supplier is able to produce regulatory traceability documentation; for example, in France BSD, “bordereau de suivi des déchets”.	P2	4
The organisation must recognize the difference between EEE and WEEE (due to waste definition) and the difference between end-of-use and end-of-life.	P3	2
Different types are segregated when wastes and WEEE are collected For example, screens are separated from other WEEE.	P3	2
For equipment that cannot be reused, the organisation must request the value extracted from its waste. Note: value extraction is broader than recycling; it can include heat recovery from combustion for example.	P3	2

4.2 How does the supplier go beyond regulation on waste and WEEE?¶

Rationale¶

With illegal trafficking of 70% of WEEE, despite the existing regulations, complying with regulation is not sufficient to protect the brand image of an organisation: although they complied with regulation, some large companies have been involved in scandals as a result to the failure of their downstream value chain. Going beyond regulation is an opportunity to develop the circular economy and sovereignty with the concept of “urban mines”.

Evaluation criteria¶

Evaluation criterion	Recommended priority	Proposed weighting (total = 38 points)
The organisation is able to ensure the upstream traceability of WEEE inside the organisation: identifying the department responsible for each part of its generation of WEEE globally.	P1	6
The organisation is able to give the average time of use (ownership or leasing) of its IT equipment: computers, screens, network equipment, servers, etc..	P1	6
The organisation asks a manufacturer for the lifespan of the equipment that it manufactures; this lifespan shall incorporate the second lifespan. This parameter is an input for Life Cycle Assessment (see Measure chapter).	P1	6
The organisation is aware of traceability issues and involves itself in traceability, for example by having a “Trackdéchets” account in France. https://trackdechets.beta.gouv.fr/	P2	4
For international companies, traceability is ensured for all countries.	P2	4
At national level, the traceability is ensured for all sites.	P3	2
The organisation is able to state the rate of reuse of its IT equipment after it has left the organisation. At least this information is requested from the manufacturer, the broker, the refurbishing organisation or the associations or organisations that receive equipment as gifts. KPI/OKR = Effective reuse rate.	P3	2
The organisation should request the effective recycling rate of equipment that cannot be reused. For recycling a bill of material is requested: for a quantity of returned equipment, how much plastic is recycled and how much metal is recycled (ideally by specific metal)?	P3	2
The organisation has launched initiatives to collect the WEEE (some types of WEEE) of its staff.	P3	3
The organisation is aware that WEEE is a real opportunity to promote local and circular economy. For example, Disable Friendly Companies (DFC) can carry out the collection of equipment. They are also able to perform tests of operations, repairs, or cleaning of memory	P3	3

4.3 Which actions does the supplier take to reduce the quantity of WEEE that it generates?¶

Rationale¶

The WEEE that has the lowest footprint is the one that is not produced. Hence, the main priority must be to reduce the quantity of WEEE generated by the organisation.

Evaluation criteria¶

Evaluation criterion	Recommended priority	Proposed weighting (total = 24 points)
The organisation has launched awareness sessions or media so that its employees know that taking care of equipment and keeping it operational is the main priority for reducing the environmental footprint of IT.	P1	12
The organisation has launched actions to facilitate the repair of IT equipment: for example, a repair café, internal or external technical support, etc.	P1	12