Challenges and Best Practices in the Collection of Small WEEE and Waste Portable Batteries in Europe

The European Union (EU) has set ambitious minimum collection rates for Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) and waste portable batteries that most Member States fail to reach, particularly for small WEEE. The current research, part of the LIFE-ECOSWEEE project, seeks to: analyze what type of incentives Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes have designed to stimulate the collection of small WEEE/batteries; highlight best practices and challenges across Europe; investigate determinants shaping consumers' choices during waste disposal; gather consumers' perspectives on collection initiatives and incentives. For this purpose, the project carried out online surveys and interviews with individual producers, producer responsibility organizations (PROs), and consumers in several countries. Consumer surveys confirm that people hoard or inadequately dispose of a significant proportion of small WEEE/battery. People appreciate financial incentives as well as initiatives that make the disposal more convenient. Awareness plays a central role, as many individuals declare they do not know the proper disposal methods for WEEE. Variations between Member States, age, economic, and educational level remain. Therefore, authorities should pay attention to citizens' awareness and strive to implement diverse strategies accounting for national and citizens' specificities. Research on collection systems for small WEEE/batteries shows that incentives are successful when they target waste streams that are not adequately captured through the regular waste collection paths and combine them with awareness-raising activities. The most common type of incentives tested was increased convenience for consumers through improved collection networks and pick-up services. Financial incentives were partly tested and are commonly directed toward municipal and retail collection points and rarely toward the end consumer. Research confirms that special attention should be paid to population densities, existing infrastructure, and the range of actors on the market when planning initiatives to increase the collection rates. The paper investigates the above-mentioned issues and provides conclusions and recommendations for the design and implementation of incentive-driven collection schemes for small WEEE and waste portable batteries.