Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) has been identified as a priority waste stream at both European Community and UK level. Priority Waste Stream Projects are being developed by the Scottish EPA (SEPA) as part of the National Waste Strategy: Scotland and the Waste Data Strategy to gather a wide range of information about specific waste streams which are considered important because of their volume, hazardous nature, recyclability or their market development potential.

The EC is currently progressing with two Directives designed to deal with WEEE. These Directives will set environmental standards for the development and life cycle of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE), restrict the use of certain hazardous substances in EEE and established recovery, recycling and re-use targets.

The WEEE directive focuses on producer responsibility This means producers will be responsible for taking back and recovering electrical and electronic goods when they reach the end of their life. Manufacturers will have to organise and finance the treatment, recovery and disposal of this waste, which may include the collection of goods from households free of charge. The directive will also provide an incentive to design electrical equipment in a more environmentally efficient way.

SEPA has commissioned TRL Ltd to conduct the study on WEEE to identify the size and source of the waste stream and look at current waste management practices. This study will explore the barriers to re-use and recovery whilst helping to evaluate the recycling capacity for Scotland.

Commenting on the priority waste stream project, SEPA's Project Leader, John Stewart, said "The essential parts of this project are to determine the quantity and nature of this waste stream and the current infrastructure to deal with it. From these data we will be able to determine Scotland's ability to meet the demands of the Directive, while examining best practice in the UK and abroad. The electronics and electrical sector is a highly significant part of the Scottish economy and all stakeholders, from manufacture to disposal or recycling, will work together to ensure that we maximize the environmental benefits, while minimising the costs of implementation.

13 priority waste streams have been identified by SEPA under the National Waste Strategy: Scotland (NWS). These specific waste streams were identified as requiring particular attention due to their size, hazardous nature, their potential for recycling, or the economic benefit to be gained from them.

The Priority Waste Streams comprise:

Construction and Demolition Waste
Tyres End of Life
Vehicles
Newsprint
Special Waste
Household Hazardous Waste
Clinical waste
Batteries and Accumulators
Packaging Waste
Chlorofluorocarbons and other ozone depleters
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Waste Oils
Agricultural waste