WEEE (Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment)
The regulations establish measures and procedures aimed at preventing the generation of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and reducing the use of hazardous substances within such equipment (e.g., Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr(VI), PBB, PBDE).
For this reason, such material cannot be disposed of as ordinary municipal waste, but must be handled with due care and treated as special waste in accordance with the procedures set out by law.
It is also worth noting that one of the obligations placed on manufacturers/distributors of electrical and electronic equipment is the requirement to collect WEEE upon the purchase of a new product (the so-called “One for One” scheme), in accordance with the terms and procedures defined by current legislation.
Where the “One for One” scheme cannot be applied, University Departments wishing to dispose of such products must contact the managers of the relevant temporary storage sites (Local Units) or the Office for Environment and Safety – Environment Sector, which is available for any related needs.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of the equipment concerned:
- Hazardous WEEE: refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, monitors, others
- Non-hazardous WEEE: personal computers (CPU, mouse, keyboard, etc.), printers, electric and electronic typewriters, desktop and pocket calculators, fax machines, telephones, others
During 2016–2017, the Office for Environment and Safety promoted the “Apple Recycling Program” agreement with the REMEDIA TSR Consortium, which provided for the collection, transport, and treatment—partly free of charge—of WEEE. This agreement ended in December 2017 due to REMEDIA's unavailability.
In September 2018, our University signed a Framework Agreement with the National Consortium for Collection and Recycling – COBAT, for the free collection of all WEEE disposed of within the University’s various departments.
Currently, the collection of this material is carried out by companies that promote environmentally friendly material recovery and recycling systems.
European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR)
The EWWR is the largest European campaign dedicated to waste prevention and reduction. It is a participatory initiative that involves citizens, schools, public bodies, and companies to promote more sustainable behaviors and tangible acts of change. Each year, it focuses on a different theme, and now in its 17th edition, it takes place in 30 European countries. The week is usually held in the penultimate or last week of November and, this year, it will run from 22 to 30 November with the theme: “Turn on value, turn off waste!”, focusing on the correct sorting of electronic waste.
Ufficio Ambiente e sicurezza
Riviera Tito Livio, 1 - 35123 Padova
tel. +39 049.827 3052 / 5786
ambiente@unipd.it
