The collection figures are breaking records, but Recupel and its partners are not the only organisations in Belgium collecting and processing e-waste. It is not known how many end-of-life appliances the other actors on the market are collecting and processing. This is one of the reasons why Belgium, like almost all other Member States, has fallen short of Europe’s collection objectives. The EU stipulated that by 2019, all Member States have to collect at least 65% of the average weight of what had been placed on the market in the preceding three years or 85% of what was discarded.

Recupel and its partners are doing all they can to achieve these objectives by, among other things, raising awareness, further expanding the collection network, and working closely with other partners in the network. Moreover, correct reporting is crucial. In 2018, we developed the BeWeee tool together with seven partner organisations to provide all actors with a simple reporting tool. In the same year, 20,000 tonnes of e-waste was reported with this tool. Furthermore, we are working hard to find the electrical and electronic appliances that have escaped us and are often not processed properly. Our ‘Missing Fridges’ campaign is an excellent illustration of that!