The WEEE Forum, the world’s biggest association of e-waste producer responsibility organisations that manage the collection and treatment of electrical and electronic waste, is turning 20 this year. 2022 is also the 20th anniversary of the world’s first supranational Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation on electrical and electronic waste: EU Directive 2002/96/EC. To celebrate this, the WEEE Forum will host the EPR Grand Challenge conference in Brussels on 7 December. You can buy tickets using this link.

These are the key points of the EPR Grand Challenges:

• Challenge #1 Delivering the circular economy: What measures will get us on track to become a circular economy and circular society? How can we encourage people to return their e-waste? How can we make recycling plastics profitable?
• Challenge #2 Producer responsibility in an international context: Do we need a global regime for EPR? How can we push up e-waste collection rates in countries with no EPR-based regulation? What complementary approaches are there for electronics EPR? What issues do countries outside Europe struggle with?
• Challenge #3 Transitioning to a low-carbon economy: How can the e-waste collection sector foster access to critical raw materials? What are the economic, political and environmental issues associated with the use of rare earth metals?
• Challenge #4 A new vision on EPR in future WEEE legislation: What changes to EPR legislation are required to deliver the circular economy? How can the #allactors principle be instrumental in delivering the circular economy? What are the building blocks of future e-waste legislation? Are the current minimum collection rates fit for purpose?

Event programme