<img src=https://nenpower.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/image-7985.webp alt=’What role do producers play in meeting the WEEE Directive’s requirements for PV waste’ />
Producers play a central role in meeting the WEEE Directive’s requirements for photovoltaic (PV) waste through the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR under the WEEE Directive places the obligation for the end-of-life management of electrical and electronic equipment—including PV panels and inverters—squarely on producers. These producers can be manufacturers, importers, or sellers who place the equipment on the market under their own name or trademark, including online sellers established outside the EU who sell directly to EU customers.
Specifically, producers must:
- Take financial and physical responsibility for collection, treatment, recovery, recycling, and disposal of PV waste to reduce its environmental impact.
- Develop and implement appropriate solutions to manage PV waste as sustainably as possible, fostering a circular economy by encouraging product designs that are easier to recycle or reuse.
- Comply with requirements to collect used equipment and ensure it is properly recycled in line with the directive’s objective to prevent the release of hazardous substances and promote recovery of secondary raw materials.
Furthermore, recent EU clarifications emphasize that manufacturers bear the costs related to PV module disposal under the updated regulations, reinforcing that producers must cover the expenses of managing electronic waste streams, including PV modules.
In summary, under the WEEE Directive, producers are legally responsible for the entire lifecycle management of PV waste—from financing and organizing collection systems to ensuring environmentally sound treatment and recycling, thereby reducing the ecological footprint of PV products at their end of life.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-role-do-producers-play-in-meeting-the-weee-directives-requirements-for-pv-waste/
