Regulation No. 9 of the Minister of Environment validating the Requirements for Treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Requirements for Treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment1 Minister of Environment Regulation No. 9 of 9 February 2005 (RTL2 2005, 20, 245), entered into force 20 February 2005. The Regulation is established on the basis of clause 29 (4) 6) of the Waste Act (RT3 I 2004, 9, 52; 30, 208). § 1. Scope of application (1) This Regulation establishes the requirements for treatment of waste generated from electrical and electronic equipment specified in clause 25 (3) 4) of the Waste Act belonging to the categories provided by subsection 1 (2) of Regulation No. 376 of the Government of the Republic of 24 December 2004 "Requirements and Procedure for Marking Electrical and Electronic Equipment, and Requirements, Procedure and Targets for Collection, Return to Producers and Recovery or Disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, and Time Limits for Reaching Targets" (hereinafter waste electrical and electronic equipment). (2) This Regulation does not apply to electrical and electronic equipment specifically manufactured for national security and defence purposes. § 2. Treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment (1) As a minimum the following substances, preparations and components have to be removed from any separately collected waste electrical and electronic equipment: 1) polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (hereinafter PCB and PCT) containing capacitors; 2) mercury containing components, such as switches or backlighting lamps; 3) batteries and accumulators; 4) printed circuit boards of mobile phones generally, and of other devices if the surface of the printed circuit board is greater than 10 square centimetres; 5) toner cartridges, liquid and pasty, as well as colour toner; 6) plastic containing brominated flame retardants; 7) asbestos waste and components which contain asbestos; 8) cathode ray tubes; 9) chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) or hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), hydrocarbons (HC); 10) gas discharge lamps; 11) liquid crystal displays (together with their casing where appropriate) of a surface greater than 100 square centimetres and all those back-lighted with gas discharge lamps; 12) external electric cables; 13) components containing refractory ceramic fibres; 14) components containing radioactive substances with the exception of components that are below the exemption thresholds established by Government of the Republic Regulation No. 163 of 30 April 2003 "Calculation of Exemption Values, and Exemption Values for Radionuclides" (RT I 2004, 39, 265); 15) electrolyte capacitors containing substances of concern with a height exceeding 25 mm, diameter exceeding 25 mm or proportionately similar volume. (2) The following components of electrical and electronic equipment that is separately collected have to be treated as indicated: 1) cathode ray tubes: the fluorescent coating has to be removed; 2) equipment containing gases that are ozone depleting or have a global warming potential (GWP) above 15, (such as those contained in foams and refrigeration circuits): the gases must be properly extracted and collected, and treated in accordance with Article 16 of Regulation 2037/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on substances that deplete the ozone layer (OJ L 244, 29.09.2000, pp. 1–24; L 244, 29.09.2000, p. 26); 3) gas discharge lamps: the mercury shall be removed. (3) The obligations specified in subsections (1) and (2) shall be performed in such a way that reuse and recycling of components or whole appliances is not hindered. § 3. Requirements for sites of storage prior to treatment and sites of treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment (1) Sites for storage prior to treatment shall have: 1) weatherproof covering; 2) impermeable surfaces; 3) spillage collection facilities and, where appropriate, decanters and cleanser-degreasers. (2) In addition to the requirements specified in clauses (1) 1) - 3), sites for treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment shall be provided with: 1) balances; 2) appropriate storage facility (facilities) for disassembled spare parts and hazardous waste; 3) appropriate containers for storage of batteries, PCBs/PCTs containing capacitors and other hazardous waste and radioactive waste; 4) equipment for the treatment of waste water. 1 Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (OJ L 037, 13.02.2003, pp. 24–39), last amended by Directive 2003/108/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 345, 31.12.2003, p. 106); 2 RTL = Riigi Teataja Lisa = Appendix to the State Gazette 3 RT = Riigi Teataja = State Gazette