News Abstract from August 19, 2005

According to the EU’s Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, Slovenia, similar as all the other EU members, needs to set up appropriate WEEE collection and recycling networks by the end of next year. Goal is to collect 4 kilograms of WEEE per capita from households as well as monitor the liable companies to ensure they are processing WEEE as they should. Slovenia’s request for extension of this deadline for one year was approved. Hence the new deadline to set up the WEEE network is end of 2007.

Seven of the largest WEEE liable companies, including the largest Slovenian house appliance manufacturer Gorenje, joined forces in establishing Zeos, a company that will handle their WEEE requirements. According to Zeos’ chairman Emil Sehic, removing one ton of WEEE will cost approximately 500 Euros (Approximately 10 – 20 Euros per appliance). This newly established company will have the capacity of recycling 10,000 to 20,000 tons of WEEE per year, employing 40 – 70 people.

WEEE milestone will be January 1, 2006, when financial and operational responsibility will fall on the WEEE liable companies, meaning these companies will have to sign contracts with WEEE collection and recycling companies for the processing of WEEE by then. Currently there are around 30 companies for collection of waste in Slovenia.