ZERO WASTE CONCEPT OF WASTE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT (WEEE) AND CURRENT PRACTICE IN SERBIA

Marija ekularac, Nenad Kovaevi, Dimitrije Tmui Faculty of Organizational Sciences in Belgrade

ABSTRACT This paper aims at presenting the concept of Zero Waste, its main definitions, as well as applicability in the treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). It also provides a brief analysis of both the EU and the Serbian legal context related to WEEE. Although the Zero Waste concept itself comprises all elements of the Waste Management, including waste reduction, collection, reuse and recycling, it is interesting to examine how each of those items separately and in synergy one with another contributes to the Zero Waste philosophy, specifically of the e-waste. The aim of this work is also to analyze the measures for greater collection of e-devices that have reached the endof-life and thus constitute waste, especially from citizens and consequently to increase the rate of their reuse and recycling. KEYWORDS: Zero Waste, WEEE, Waste Management 1. INTRODUCTION

There is a number of other definitions of Zero Waste, but most of them highlight the growing concept of new approaches towards waste management. Zero Waste is a way of thinking rather than an absolute. Subscribing to it does not mean instantly eliminating every last piece of waste whatever it costs. Zero Waste is a relatively new paradigm and related ideas and practices are still evolving. The key principle of Zero Waste is that it defines waste as something that is simply not acceptable. This sidesteps debate about what a reasonable level of waste is, and instead puts the focus on steadily working towards a life without waste. Ultimately, Zero Waste means a 100% resourceefficient economy where, as in nature, material flows are cyclical and everything is reused or recycled harmlessly back into society or nature. Waste as we think of it today will cease to exist because everything will be viewed as a resource. Zero Waste is based on the understanding that all of the materials we utilise are resources, and only become waste through poor management. In practice, this means minimising waste during production as well as designing products that function cleanly and can be reused or recycled at the end of their lives. The Zero Waste concept is about the elimination of all forms of waste from production systems, including solid, liquid and gaseous wastes. The removal of an endemic inefficiency waste from the system is in essence the ultimate expression of eco-efficiency. That explains more ambitious ultimate goal of Zero Waste compared even to the most modern waste management systems. Although the concept comprises all the standard elements of the modern waste management including: Reduction, Reuse, Recovery (Recycling, Composting, Energy recovery), it goes a step further with regard to the last station in the system Disposal. Namely, in this concept there is no disposal and landfills would become a memory on insufficient waste management systems. The concept of Zero Waste obviously follows the line towards sustainable development through all three of the generally

1.1. What is Zero Waste? The only peer-reviewed internationally accepted definition of Zero Waste is that adopted by the Zero Waste International Alliance: Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.

accepted pillars of sustainability economic well being, environmental protection, and social well being. The area of applicability of Zero Waste is unlimited and it can be equally successfully applied in communities, governments, administrations, industries and other businesses, schools, homes etc. One of the building blocks of the overall waste policy is the WEEE, which makes it increasingly interesting for the Zero Waste concept. Electrical and electronic equipment consists of a complex mixture of components and materials. To prevent environmental problems when the products are about to be scrapped, the end of life treatment aims at limiting the amount of waste going to final disposal, for example through materials recycling. The hazardous character of composition of most electrical and electronic devices makes them challenging for any waste management policy, but especially the Zero Waste matrix. The source of the challenge is two-fold: diverting from the landfills e-devices at the end-of-life (through increased collection and reuse) and maximizing dismantlingrecycling-recover (through technological processes) of the collected devices both remain an issue. 2. WASTE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT (WEEE)

2. 3.

Refrigeration Equipment Gas Discharge Lamps

It is obvious that the WEEE covers virtually everything with a plug or battery. It can be also classed as either household or non-household WEEE. Table 1. Devices in the households in Serbia Republic of Serbia, Devices in the households 2011 in percent TV 98,9 Mobile telephone 82,5 Personal computer (PC) 52,1 Cable TV 44,4 Laptop 15,5 Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia WEEE is the fastest growing stream in the EU, producing 8.3-9.1 million tons in 2005, growing to estimated 12.3 million tons of WEEE by 2020. Inadequately treated e-waste poses environmental and health risks. That is why the EU WEEE Directive promoting the collection and recycling of such equipment (Directive 2002/96/EC) has been in force since February 2003. The legislation aims at tackling improper treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment. It also seeks to induce design modifications that make WEEE easier to dismantle, recycle and recover. It promotes as a first priority, the prevention of waste and in addition, the collection and recycling and reuse of such equipment, more specifically through creation of collection schemes where consumers return their used e-waste free of charge. The objective of these schemes is to increase the recycling and/or re-use of such products so as to reduce the disposal of waste. A sister Directive, ROHS (the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment - Directive 2002/95/EC), that came into force on 1st July 2006, complements the WEEE Directive by banning the presence of specific hazardous substances in products at the design phase. This Directive bans the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. Despite such rules on collection and recycling only one third of electrical and electronic waste in the European Union is reported as separately collected and appropriately treated. A part of the other two thirds is potentially still going to landfills and to

2.1 Categories and EU legal context Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is a type of waste covering any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic device. It includes a wide range of products from computers, printers and faxes, washing machines and fridges and even fluorescent tubes. The 10 categories of WEEE are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Large household appliances Small household appliances IT & telecommunications equipment Consumer equipment Lighting equipment Electrical and electronic tools Toys, leisure and sports equipment Medical devices Monitoring and control instruments

10. Automatic dispensers marija izvor

There are also 3 sub categories when WEEE 1-10 contains hazardous waste: 1. Display Equipment

sub-standard treatment sites in or outside the European Union. The collection target of 4 kg per person per year does not properly reflect the amount of WEEE arising in individual Member States. Illegal trade of electrical and electronic waste to non-EU countries continues to be identified at EU borders. In December 2008, the European Commission therefore proposed to revise the directives on electrical and electronic equipment in order to tackle the fast increasing waste stream of such products. The aim is to increase the amount of ewaste that is appropriately treated and to reduce the volume that goes to disposal. The proposals also aim to reduce administrative burdens and ensure coherency with newer policies and legislation covering, for example, chemicals and the new legislative framework for the marketing of products in the European Union.

of waste, followed by the reuse and refurbishment of goods, then value recovery through recycling and energy recovery being the final option. However, there are no mandating reuse targets making that option practically achieved much below its actual place in the waste hierarchy. In many cases those who argue against reusing electric and electronic goods are the same companies that produce them and therefore have an interest in consumers buying a new one. Such propaganda coupled with the consumers mentality influences some people who just do not want a second hand electronic appliance. What is for sure is that today there are plenty of electric and electronic goods which are discarded despite being still fully operative or easily reusable if fixed. There are also many practical measures related to improvement of the collection rates, that could contribute to ultimately eliminate the e-waste going to the landfills. The EU Directive on WEEE places an obligation on the producers of electronic and electrical equipment to take-back 'end-of-life' or waste products free of charge in an effort to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfills. In most countries applying the WEEE Directive or an equivavlent legislation several options are offered to consumers. It includes:

Picture 1. WEEE symbol (it is indicated on electrical

goods such as televisions, batteries, phones, fridges, household gadgets and even light bulbs, and it basically means dont chuck it in the bin) IZVOR

2.2 Zero WEEE Sending Zero Electric and Electronic Waste to landfill just makes sense but turning this waste into resource is an indispensable part of the new industrial revolution. Maximising material productivity is the way forward and Zero Waste is a vital part of it. Zero WEEE concept is practically emphasized by the WEEE Directive which calls for the reduction, collection, reuse and recycling of e-waste. Reduction contributes primarily by promoting the improved environmental design of the new products through the individual producer responsibility. With regard to reuse, as one of inevitable links on a chain of any effective waste management, there is much room for improvement of indicators of success. The WEEE legislation is based on the waste hierarchy which encourages the prevention

Local retailers: For electrical and electronic waste - when consumers buy a new electrical product such as a washing machine or fridge the retailer is obliged to take-back the consumers old appliance on a like for like basis as a minimum. You can change old equipment with no charges when acquiring a new equivalent one; For waste batteries - waste battery bins are available to deposit old batteries. This service is free of charge and the consumer does not have to make a purchase to use the service. Recycling centres: Consumers can bring their unwanted electrical and electronic equipment or waste batteries to the local recycling centres for recycling free of charge. Local community and/or NGO initiatives: free recycling days when consumers can return anything with a plug or battery at one of announced places. FREE WEEE door-to-door collection service of local operators: This service has benefited the households and industry by capturing historical WEEE that had

avoided other take-back schemes. It is especially useful for the householders that need assistance. Finally, it raises awareness among the population about importance of regular treatments WEEE.

In 2002, several major European manufactures established the European Recycling Platform (ERP) as a joint initiative to provide compliance solutions facing the WEEE Directive and other take-back obligations globally. IZVOR

The Governmental order on products, which after use become separate waste flows, lays down the obligation to pay an environmental tax for electrical and electronic products (EEE) placed on the market (Official Herald RS No. 54/2010) (hereafter GO on products). This GO prescribes fixed recycling fees that have to be paid by the EEE producers/importers for particular types of EEE. Furthermore, the Governmental Order on amount and conditions for the award of incentive funds (Official Herald RS No. 88/2009, 67/2010 and 101/2010) (hereafter The GO on incentive funds) stipulates the incentives paid for the treatment of WEEE (i.e. re-use, recycling and recovery) based on treated weight per WEEE-category. The Serbian WMA among other principles stipulates in Article 6 the principles of producer responsibility and the polluter pays principle. The first requires that producers, importers, distributors and retailers of products that affect the increase in the amount of waste are responsible for waste resulting from their activities. The producer shall bear the greatest responsibility as he determines the composition and characteristics of products and their packaging. The producer shall be obliged to ensure the reduction of waste generation, production of recyclable products, as well as the development of reuse and recycling market. The later obliges the polluters to bear the full costs of their actions. Therefore, the cost of production, treatment and disposal of waste must be included in the product price. According to Article 25(2) of the WMA (Responsibility of the product producer) a producer/importer whose product becomes hazardous waste after use shall be obliged to take over such waste after use, without cost recovery, and treat such waste in accordance with this Law and other regulations. Article 25(3) of the WMA gives the producer/importer the option to authorize another legal entity to take over the products after use on his behalf. The MO on WEEE stipulates obligations for producers/importers related to the design and labeling of EEE, informing the end-users, collectors, operators and collective operators. Article 16(2) of the MO on WEEE states that producers/importers shall individually ensure the treatment of waste equipment, or entrust it to operators or collective operators, in accordance with the law that regulates waste management. However, there is a lack of essential provisions necessary for establishing a functioning WEEE management system. Detailed rules how producers/importers have to comply with their

Recycling is to high extent bodered by the current level of technological processes. The positive development is that the new technologies for recycling of e-waste practically enable full resorce recovery, meaning that e-waste is recyckled on the Zero Waste principle. It practicaly means that the collected e-waste can be entirerly diverted from the landfills. The recycling process is unique as all electric and electronic equipment is broken down into different streams meaning every single item is recycled in the correct manner. Major streams are mixed plastic and metals, each representing approximately 20-30% of all parts, glass and finally some 5% belongs to hazardous elements. Some plastics can be recovered and used as raw material for new products, the rest can be incinerated with energy recovery, which produce electricity and district heating. The metal and glass parts are used as raw materials in various metal or glass processing factories. Hazardous substances are phased out of the environment through different methods. The methods which would enable recycling of the fluorescent powder which contains mercury, and is found in for example fluorescent tubes, are currently being developed. Although Zero WEEE recyckling is possible it is an expensive technology that needs to be subsidised by the governments in order to be profitable for operators. 3. WEEE IN SERBIA

3.1 Legal acts Basic legal requirements regarding management of WEEE in the Republic of Serbia are given in Article 50 of the Waste Management Act (WMA) (Official Herald RS No 36/09). Detailed provisions were laid down in 2010 in the Ministerial Order on the list of electric and electronic products, measures of prohibition and restriction of use of electric and electronic equipment containing hazardous substances, methods and procedures of managing waste from electric and electronic products (Official Herald RS No. 99/2010) (hereafter the MO on WEEE).

obligations or delegate all their obligations are missing. The MO on WEEE has introduced the term collective operator according to the definitions (Article 3, point 19) being a commercial society or legal entity established by producers and importers, that place more than 15,000 tons of EEE per year on the market of Serbia, so as to enable waste equipment management, that manages at least one facility for treatment, and whose name is included on the license for the management of waste equipment. This implies, that the set up of a Collection and Recovery System (CRS) is not possible without running at least one facility. Furthermore, it implies that the setup of such systems is a possible way for the producers to comply with their responsibilities. This, however, is in conflict with the provision that producers/importers are obliged to pay a tax to the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) for EEE placed on the market by them. In addition, the establishment of collective system for WEEE is not envisaged by the WMA, which makes legally impossible to create such a system. 3.1.1 Financing

Serbia and recycling fees were determined based on experiences from other countries. 3.1.2 Collection of WEEE

Objectives for WEEE collection are given in Article 15 of the MO on WEEE (The objectives of waste equipment collection and utilisation). The following collection rates are specified: 2 kg/cap/y by 31 December 2015 and 4 kg/cap/y by 31 December 2019

The EU WEEE Directive currently in force (2002/96/EC) defines a minimum collection target of 4 kg/cap/year from private households. It should be noted that at the moment the EU institutions are working on a recast of this Directive, which foresees that MSs have to collect 45% of the total mass of appliances put on the market 4 years after the new Directive comes into force and 65% 8 years after. A rate of separate collection of at least four kilograms on average per inhabitant per year of WEEE from private households shall continue to apply. To that end, Serbia is advised to follow the process for the adoption of the new Directive. Assuming a potential mass of EEE of 9-12 kg/cap/y in Serbia, it could be estimated that: 45% would be equal to 4.1-5.4 kg/cap/y and 65% would be equal to 5.9-7.8 kg/cap/y.

Article 79(4) of the WMA (Price of waste management services) stipulates that the producer or importer of products which turn into specific waste streams after use shall pay a fee. The funds accumulated from these fees shall be an income to the budget of the Republic of Serbia and shall be spent for designated purposes, that is, for investment and operation costs of handling specific waste streams, through the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The GO on products specifies details and includes the recycling fees that have to be paid by the EEE producers/importers. Serbia, however, has no binding rules on how to determine recycling fees. The recycling fees that are currently specified in the GO on products are not based on real costs for the management of WEEE. Article 81 of the WMA regulates spending the resources of the EPF for designated purposes. However, with regard to financing of WEEE management activities only generic provisions are given. According to Article 81(2) of the WMA, the resources of the EPF shall be used, among others, for financing the management of WEEE. Article 77 of the WMA (Waste management costs) stipulates that waste management costs shall be determined according to the quantity and characteristics of waste in accordance with the polluter-pays principle. However, there is limited information on costs for treatment of WEEE in

To bring Serbian legislation in accordance with EU legislation, the procedure of calculation needs to be changed (percentage of marketed mass instead of mass collected), which as a consequence leads to higher collection targets. While the MO on WEEE gives the collection targets, it does not state who is responsible for achieving these targets. According to Article 9(1) of the MO on WEEE, producers and importers have the obligation to inform the end-users about collection and recycling of WEEE. Furthermore, according to Article 81 of the WMA educational programmes and programmes for public awareness raising regarding environmental issues and waste management are an activity that should be financed by the EPF. However, there are no details given on how or to what extent information to end-users should be provided. Furthermore, no dedicated collection sites for WEEE have been installed. The WEEE quantities that have been treated in Serbia (3,800 to 4,800 t in 2010) were collected from commercial and industrial generators. Hand-over of WEEE might

take place at a collection sites for various waste streams from households in Belgrade, Moreover, collection campaigns organised by recycling companies and producers are reported. Bulky waste, containing also WEEE is collected by informal waste collectors directly at households. 3.1.3 Monitoring WEEE-management

According to the Serbian Environmental Protection Agency, there are 19 registered operators in Serbia with license for treatment of WEEE. They collected in total 2,938 tons of WEEE in 2010 out of which 2,903 tons was reported as recycled. There is no official data on breakdown of the recycled quantities per WEEE category per operator.

Article 78 of the WMA and Article 4 of the GO on Products oblige the producers and importers of EEE to keep daily records of quantity and type of produced and imported products, as well as annual reports thereof. The annual reports have to be submitted to the Serbian Agency for Environmental Protection (SEPA). According to Article 50 of the WMA, the person performing collection, treatment or disposal of waste originating from EEE must keep records of the quantity and type of WEEE taken over and submit those data to the SEPA. The information on the collection of WEEE is currently based on the information obtained by treatment operators and their reports to SEPA. The reports on treated quantities of WEEE and on the waste outlets obtained in the course of the treatment, which have to be reported by the plant operators applying for incentives from the EPF, are currently controlled by the staff of the Environmental Inspectorate of the MEMSP. Article 15 of the MO on WEEE (Objectives of waste equipment collection and utilisation) stipulates targets for reuse/recycling/recovery efficiencies for particular WEEE categories, whereby those responsible for achievement are the operators and collective operators (not the producers/importers). The operators or collective operators shall keep records on the amount of waste equipment, components parts and materials thereof, expressed in kilograms, entering and leaving a treatment facility for the purpose of calculating the share of reuse, utilisation and disposal of waste equipment. However, no provisions are given on how and by whom the recycling and recovery targets are calculated. More specifically, whether the operators/collective operators have to calculate the rates based on their records and submit data to SEPA or SEPA provides for the calculation of the rates based on submitted data on waste input and output of operators. The same also applies to the calculation of the collection targets. Neither for masses of EEE placed on the market, nor for masses of WEEE collected, it is requested to report separate figures for household appliances and commercial appliances. 3.2 WEEE operators

Source: www.zerowaste.rs The operators in Serbia have started developing networks of WEEE collection that include companies, citizens, NGOs and schools. Specials containers have been placed at several locations nearby shopping centres, schools and institutions. That enables the citizens to deposit their old electrical and electronic devices free of charge. Moreover, in coordination with some importers and sellers of EEE, some operators have started programmes to stimulate people to properly collect and dispose the electronic and electrical waste. The consumers who purchase new technical devices in the shops are granted a discount, dependent on the used appliance they bring for recycling. The operators "BIS Reciklazni centar" and "SET reciklaza" are among those that are part of such programmes, which although useful only to a limited extent manage to compensate for the legal insufficiency and a consequent lack of establishment of more comprehensive collection systems. The lack of technical standards for WEEE recycling also causes problems to the operators which some of them try to overcome by developing own operating procedure. The operating procedure practiced in the "BIS Reciklazni centar" begins with the testing of accuracy and functionality of the collected equipment. It is performed by a qualified person following the relevant procedures and regulations. Equipment which is not functional due

to lack of certain part must be returned to the service where the spare part should be replaced. Subsequently the correctness must be tested again and if approved the equipment can be safely used. Such practice is in line with the recommendation to increase the reuse as one of the principles of the sound waste management. Equipment that is categorized as incorrect is dismantled according to the given procedure with tools by the skilled workers. Simultaneously with dismantling the components and materials from electronic equipment are sorted into the following groups:

collecting sufficient quantities of certain components they are packed and transported for export, as there are no processing capacities for these components currently in Serbia. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT IN SERBIA WEEE

The biggest problems currently faced in WEEE management are: In the Serbian legislation, some provisions crucial for the establishment of a working WEEE management currently are missing. Problem: It seems unclear if collective or individual producer responsibility is possible according to Serbian law; The Serbian legislation should be modified in order to provide a legal basis for permitting collective and individual implementation of the WEEE management in both, the collection and recovery/recycling as well as the treatment of WEEE. 4.1 Financing Problem: Recycling fees to be paid by the producers are not based on real treatment costs It is recommended to establish rules for the determination of recycling fees instead of fixed fees as currently set by the GO on products. For any calculation it is crucial that costs for collection/recycling are allocated to the real treatment costs. The same applies for the costs for treatment, which are currently defined in the GO on Incentive Funds. Stipulating fixed prices to be paid to recyclers is not appropriate for achieving competition. At least real treatment costs should be considered and therefore collected/calculated when determining these incentives.

Plastic (ABS, PET, PVC, PC, HDPE, LDPE,

HIPS, PP, PE, uncoated plastic, etc) and plastic parts; Metals and metal parts; Power; Rubbers; Cables; Accumulators and batteries (Ni-Cd(Nickelcadmium), Ni-MH(Nickel Metal Hydride), Liion(Lithium-ion), Pb(lead) Li-Po, pyraline batteries, alkali batteries); Screens (cathode Ray Tubes CRT, LCD and plasma screens); Electronic components (printed boards, deflection units, optical units, cards, processing and memory units, etc); Toner cassettes and cartridges; Textile; Electro-motors; Other materials. After separation and sorting of received materials has been carried out recyclable and non-recyclable components are treated and temporary stored. Within the recycling centre a plastic, paper and cartons, as well as cables are treated. Plastic is sorted within the centre into several categories, afterward it is grinded, i.e. granulated and as such stored in the recyclable warehouse, whereas paper is compacted into large bales with hydraulic pump. Cables are treated with the machine for removing of insulation materials, whereas certain types of cables are handed in the received form to the authorized companies for treatment. Components that are being recycled in the Republic of Serbia (iron, plastic, copper, aluminum, glass, rubber, cables, etc) are handed over for further treatment to the authorized companies. Components that are not recycled in the Republic of Serbia are being disposed in the specially marked packaging in the specialized premises (temporary warehouses for non-recyclable components) following the legal regulation. After

4.2 Collection Problem: The definition of collection targets is not compatible with the EU WEEE Directive. In order to reach higher collection effects, higher collection targets (apart from those stipulated currently for 2015 (2kg/cap) and 2019 (4kg/cap) should be implemented before 2015. Higher collection targets should be especially set for WEEE types of higher environmental relevance like cooling and freezing appliances, screens, lamps, batteries. Economic instruments should be applied including take-back bonus for returned

cooling and freezing appliances, screens and gas discharge lamps. The returned appliances have to be complete. Problem: The responsibility to achieve collection targets is not defined in the Serbian law. This responsibility should be assigned to the producers. Problem: According to Serbian legislation, the responsibility for the information of the public is not defined. Requested information of the end-users should be defined in more details. Specifically, when more than one CRS will be installed, a central and consistent information work is important. Information about collection point should be provided. WEEE collection campaigns should be organized. Collection awards should become a practice. Problem: The missing establishment of a collection system (organisational and practical). The establishment of collection sites should take place in the near future. Appropriate number of collective points should be established. The recommended practice is to build one collection site per 50,000 inhabitants in rural areas, one collection site per 200,000 inhabitants in urban areas. The realistic timeframe for achieving this should be prepared. All regional waste management centres should be equipped for WEEE collection, whereby a strong involvement of the municipalities and collection of WEEE together with other wastes from households is desirable. Thus the costs can be shared between municipalities, producers/importers of diverse products such as EEE, batteries, packaging material, etc. The law should allow more flexibility for the collection points for small quantities of WEEE in a way that they do not need permits. Transport of small quantities of WEEE should also be simplified. Problem: Rules for collective operators (a minimum market share of 15.000 t) exist, but no specific rules for permitting CRS are available; It is recommended to introduce the possibility as well as rules for the establishment of CRS. Without adequate collection structures, it is impossible to reach the collection targets. 4.3 Treatment/Monitoring

Problem: Undefined obligation for register of EEE producers/importers. Obligations for running the register should be clearly defined. Problem: Technical standards for recycling do not exist. Technical standards for WEEE recycling should be specified in the relevant legal acts. This is especially important for WEEE containing hazardous elements. Problem: Monitoring of collection targets. It is recommended to request recording and reporting of collected quantities of WEEE separately for WEEE from households and from the business sector. This is necessary, first, because the collection target for WEEE of the current WEEE Directive of 4 kg/inhabitant/year applies only to WEEE from private households. Second, there are differences in the costs for the management of WEEE from households and from businesses.

5.

CONCLUSION

This paper shows that the Zero Waste concept can be successfully applied in the WEEE management in general, but potentially also in Serbia. The technological processes of WEEE enable diverting from the landfills e-devices at the end-of-life. Major challenge arises from insufficient collection practice as most of the devices, especially from households, are still trashed in an inappropriate way alongside other sorts of waste. Relevant legal background in Serbia, although highly approximated to the one of the EU, still requires significant improvements especially on the level of the secondary legislation. 6. REFERENCES

[1] Federal Environment Agency Austria, Analysis of the different systems of management WEEE used in EU countries and benchmark of Serbian practices and options for improvement, September 2011. [2] Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/legis_ en.htm (last accessed 29 March 2012).

[3] Directive 2002/95/EC on the Restriction of the Use of certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS), Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/legis_ en.htm (last accessed 29 March 2012). [4] Frequently Asked Questions on Directive 2002/95/EC on the Restriction of the Use of certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) and Directive 2002/96/EC on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/pdf/fa q_weee.pdf (last accessed 29 March 2012). [5] United Nations University, 2008 Review of Directive 2002/96 on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Final Report, 5 August 2007. [6] New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, Industry Guide to Zero Waste, August 2002.

[7] http://www.zwia.org/ (last accessed 12 April 2012). [8] http://www.erp-recycling.org (last accessed 12 April 2012). [9] http://www.repic.co.uk (last accessed 12 April 2012). [10] http://www.zerowasteeurope.eu (last accessed 12 April 2012). [11] Sweden - World leader in WEEE collection and treatment, Available at: http://www.avfallsverige.se/fileadmin/uploads/elret ur_eng.pdf (last accessed 30 March 2012). [12] Waste Management Act (Official Journal RS, No. 36/09). [13] http://www.zerowaste.org/ (last accessed 12 April 2012). [14] http://www.setreciklaza.rs/ (last accessed 7 April 2012). [15] http://www.it-recycling.biz/ (last accessed 7 April 2012).