35,921 tonnes
That is the quantity of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that was reported over 2020 with BeWeee.
When we add this up to the quantity that was reported with Recupel and PV Cycle Belgium the overall result is a total of 159,761 tonnes for the whole of Belgium.
BeWeee is booming
More and more actors that are subject to a declaration obligation are finding their way to BeWeee. In 2017 [1] a quantity of 6,662 tonnes was reported using the declaration tool. Four years later, in 2020, this has more than quintupled up to 35,921 tonnes.
It is to be noted that BeWeee also does well for the declaration of professional WEEE. In 2020 a quantity of 17,572 tonnes was reported. That is twice the quantity that was reported 3 years ago.
Blinded by the sun
Our country does not comply with the 65% standard (taken out of the market vs placed on the market or OOM/POM) just yet. But we are doing better year after year: With respect to 2020 we achieve 50.75% or actually 54.8%. Because the results are distorted due to solar panels. Solar panels have only recently been included in the calculations. Solar panels are relatively new on the market and not many of them have already reached the end-of-life status.
EEE is booming
Apart from the effect of solar panels – which are being placed on the market in huge quantities, but not taken out of the market quite as massively – there is another phenomenon that requires our attention.
For many years now the quantity of electrical and electronic equipment that is being placed on the market is increasing year after year. This is partly due to the intensive digitisation process.
Result: we must step up our efforts if we want to achieve the 65% objective. Because the quantity that is placed on the market is increasing more rapidly than the quantity that is taken out of the market (POM>OOM).
65% in sight?
Absolutely! In spite of everything the collection rate keeps going up, also in 2020. A key factor in this respect is that all the actors comply with their reporting obligations and continue to do so. That is a prerequisite for achieving the European objective.
In this perspective 2020 was quite promising: once again the number of companies that submitted reports using BeWeee has increased compared to last year. Let’s continue this positive trend!
In support of:
