NEW CATEGORIES - FROM 10 TO 7

Hitherto, electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has been classified and reported in 10 branch related categories. In future, all EEE must be classified under one of six categories stated in the WEEE Directive and reproduced below. The new six categories are based on logistics associated with the management and treatment of end-of-life electronics. Thus, the categories resemble the WEEE fractions that Danish municipalities use when sorting and handling WEEE at the municipal collection sites for WEEE. But only to a certain extent....

Affecting producers as well as municipalities

EEE as well as WEEE must in the future be reported to the producer responsibility register and sorted at the municipal collection sites according to the size and/or substance and/or material properties of the products. In addition to the six categories set up in the directive, photovoltaic panels have in Denmark been created as an extra category 7.

As it appears from the table it is necessary to know the outer dimension of the equipment (and to scope the product group of IT and telecommunications equipment, cf. 6) - and this may constitute a challenge for those having the producer responsibility as well as for municipalities and operators.

Table: New categories and fractions

Nye WEEE-fractions	Larger or smaller than
1. Temperature exchange equipment
2. Screens, monitors, and equipment with screens	> 100 cm²
3. Lamps
4. Large equipment	> 50 cm
5. Small equipment	< 50 cm
6. Small IT and tele equipment	< 50 cm
7. Photovoltaic panels