Ecotrel: collecting and processing WEEE with an eye to the circular economy

Ecotrel
Type of organisation or company
Country
Luxembourg
City
Belvaux
Language for original content
Project elaborated in partnership
No
Ongoing
Yes
Type of funding
Description

Ecotrel is a non-profit association set up by producers and importers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) in Luxembourg. It aims to link up corporate social responsibility and circular economy principles by ensuring that its members comply with EU legislation on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and the restricted use of certain hazardous substances in EEE and that end-of-life devices are reused or recycled as appropriate.

It manages and funds the collection and recycling of WEEE and undertakes to ensure that the devices marketed by its members will be recycled. The cost for this is covered by the recycling fee paid by customers when they buy a new electrical or electronic appliance. 

End-of-life electrical and electronic devices are taken to municipal waste disposal centres across Luxembourg where they are repaired if possible or disassembled for recycling. The secondary raw materials are then looped back into the production chain.

Main results

Currently, over 880 companies of different sizes and from different sectors have joined Ecotrel.

Collecting waste is only the first step: reusing or recycling it properly is key to reducing waste and fostering resource efficiency and that is what Ecotrel does.