European Recycling Platform Announces WEEE Partners

The European Recycling Platform (ERP), the first pan-European take back and compliance scheme for waste from electrical and electronic  equipment, founded by Braun, Electrolux, HP and Sony, announced the appointment of CCR and Geodis as general contractors. The firms will manage all operational activities on behalf of the ERP's founders and members, including take-back, logistics, recycling and all necessary administrative work to ensure full compliance with the WEEE Directive. CCR remit will initially cover Austria, Germany, Italy and Poland while Geodis will take care of France, Spain, Portugal, UK and Ireland.

Hans Korfmacher, president of the ERP explains, "Early in the development of the ERP, we decided to outsource the management of WEEE compliance to specialists with experience in handling waste management and complex logistics across Europe. Our aim is to ensure best service to our customers and maximum efficiencies in meeting our WEEE obligations. Our new partners CCR and Geodis meet our criteria of competence and efficient waste management."

Both general contractors will sub-contract the treatment of WEEE and transportation to third parties. The procurement process will start immediately and will be completed in time to meet the timelines set by national WEEE legislation.

The European Recycling Platform was set up in December 2002 by Braun, Electrolux, HP and Sony in response to the introduction of the European Union's Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive. The ERP's mission is to ensure cost effective implementation of the directive, for the benefit of the participating companies and their customers, through innovative waste management strategies and to encourage national implementation of the directive according to a set of core principles, fundamental to the protection of consumers and business, as well as the environment. More information is available at www.erp-recycling.org. 

The WEEE Directive is a new legal framework within which producers are obliged to contribute or to organise the disposal, recycling or recovery of the goods they market after 13 August 2005. Producers are also obliged to handle the recycling of a proportion, based on their market share year by year, of the waste from products sold before 13 August 2005.