In Europe, the production of electrical and electronic
equipment (EEE) is one of the fastest growing business sectors
(Cui & Forssberg 2003). Hence, the amount of WEEE will
also increase very rapidly. For example, in Europe the expected
growth rate of WEEE is at least 3 to 5% per year (Hischier et
al. 2005). In the former (before May 2004) 15 European
Union member countries (EU15), the amount of WEEE produced
during 1990–1999 was 3.3–3.6 kg per capita and is projected
to reach 3.9–4.3 kg per capita for the period 2000–
2010 (EEA, 2003). According to this study (which assessed
only five appliances: refrigerators, personal computers, televisions,
photocopiers, and small household appliances), these
items account for only 25% of the whole WEEE stream of the
EU15. Another estimate of the total per capita WEEE generation
in the EU15 is 4–20 kg year–1 (Widmer et al. 2005). Other
estimates of total WEEE generation rates for the EU range
from 14 to 20 kg per capita (Enviros 2002, Keynote 2003). The
range of uncertainty relates mainly to differences in how WEEE
is defined.