The EU WEEE Directive and KYOCERA

KYOCERA as a manufacturer of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (‘EEE’) provides only WEEE compliant products to our customers in the European Markets since 2005. KYOCERA as an environmentally friendly company is fully responsible of its products from the design stage until they reach the end of their useful life. As an operating global company we are following strict internal policy to promote environmentally responsible business practices.

In all the EU countries, KYOCERA register all the EEE its places onto the local Market. Also in the majority of the European Countries were we have a Sales Office, KYOCERA joined a national Collective system. These systems provide to the KYOCERA Sales office a complete process from collection to recycling and of course reporting. This allows KYOCERA to fulfil its obligations according to its market share. Further to our EEE that are marked with the crossed-out wheeled bin to comply with the Directive Guidelines (see below).

Symbol for the marking of electrical and electronic equipment indicating separate collection

The symbol – consists of the crossed-out wheeled bin. The symbol must be printed visibly, legibly and indelibly and conform to any such standard that may be promoted by the EU Commission. Further its:

• Demonstrating that electrical and electronic equipment has been placed on the market since 13 August 2005, and
• Indicating that electrical and electronic equipment should not be disposed of as unsorted municipal waste, but segregated for separate collection.
  

This symbol applies only to the countries within the EEA (*).

(*) EEA: European Economic Area, which comprises the EU member States plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Explanaory note:

The European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (2002/96/EC) and its Recast (2012/19/EC).

The aim of the original WEEE Directive and the recast is to ensure that EU Member States prevent or minimise the levels of discarded electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) within the general waste stream and reduce the environmental impact of EEE at end-of-life. Also are intended to protect the quality of the environment and human health through the prudent use of natural resources and the adoption of waste management strategies that focus on recycling and reuse.

The main changes introduced by the recast are:

• a wider scope for the range of products covered;
• an increased emphasis on re-use;
  
• the introduction of the concept of a producer’s authorized representative in an effort to lower the regulatory and cost burdens on business;
  
• new tools to fight the illegal export of WEEE more effectively;
  
• the introduction for the first time of a one for zero take back requirement with respect to small items of WEEE in retail outlets of a certain size;
  
• the introduction of higher Member State collection and recovery targets and a changed methodology for calculating the WEEE collection rate.