WEEE comply with what? PART 2
Individual vs. collective compliance? Pro’s and cons
There are two possible approaches:
- The Producer complies individually; or
- The Producer contracts with a dedicated compliance service provider = a compliance and take-back scheme
Individual compliance requires producers to setup specific compliance programs and reportings. It shall be specifically financed, guaranteed and officially declared to authorities in each country. Usually only few very specific producers decide for such solution since the majority would rather opt for a collective and mutualized solution with compliance and take back schemes.
The compliance and take-back scheme is a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO), approved by the national authority and operating in the country usually in relation to a particular stream (WEEE, or battery, or packaging).
Although national authorities have made it quite complex for Producers to manage their obligations on an individual basis, they have facilitated contracting with compliance and take-back schemes in order to centralise compliance and control of Producer responsibility.
As a consequence, in most countries there is competition amongst compliance and take-back schemes. They all provide compliance but in reality, there are differences in terms of prices, service portfolio, reactivity and information systems.
Romain Letenneur
