Reports from the return systems for EE waste show that a total of 102,000 tons of EE waste was collected in  Norway  in 2004. Dealers, importers and manufacturers have, along with the Norwegian municipalities, been instrumental in facilitating the high collection levels for such waste. 

“This means that the goal of collecting 80 percent has been reached with a substantial margin, and that proper treatment is being secured for large quantities of hazardous substances via the return system for EE waste. The collection efforts are one of the most important means we have in the waste area,” says Håvard Holm, Director General of the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT).

Norway  in first place
Today, Norwegians are the best in the world when it comes to the collection of this type of waste. There are reasons to believe that  Norway  will maintain this position for a number of years while the systems are being built up in  Europe .

The EU has adopted a joint body of regulations concerning the collection of EE waste, which will go into effect in 2005. This also involves some changes to the Norwegian regulations, including the imposition of an obligation on all importers and exporters of EE products to be a member of a return company by  1 July  2006 .

Continually increasing
The three large co-operative return companies of Renas, Elektronikkretur and Hvitevareretur (the latter two merged on  1 April 2005 , becoming one company under the name of  Elretur   AS ) have been behind 94 percent of the collection-related activity at the present point. These were formed in 1999 after the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment and the importers of electrical equipment entered into an industry-wide agreement to achieve an 80 percent return rate before  1 July 2004 .

The reports for 2004 show that Renas had nearly a 100 percent return rate and Hvitevareretur had a 92 percent return rate, whereas Elektronikkretur had a 75 percent return rate. The return percentages have increased radically since the arrangements began. 

Further reading: 

• Waste policy  (Norwegian Ministry of the Environment)  
• Renas , Elretur  (The return systems for EE waste)

Questions can be directed to SFT:

• Head of Section Hans Aasen, Section for Waste Management
  Telephone:  (+47) 22 57 34 13 , E-mail: hans.aasen@klif.no       
• Adviser Olav Skogesal, Section for Environmental Data
  Telephone:  (+47) 22 57 37 27 , E-mail: olav.skogesal@klif.no       
• Adviser Hilde Sundt Skålevåg, Section for Waste Management
  Telephone:  (+47) 22 57 34 57 , E-mail: hilde-sundt.skalevag@klif.no