Safe and proper disposal of electrical medical and laboratory equipment

A carrier is responsible for transporting waste by order of someone else (an CDB). A carrier therefore does not decide where to collect the waste or to which destination it will be transported. It is the principal who determines these and is also responsible for the identification form ^{(only available in Dutch)}.

An identification form must be present during every shipment of waste, except in the case of a limited number of exceptions. The responsibility for its format and content lies with the CDB, or the producer who makes their own arrangements for their waste. The transport of the waste may not depart until an identification form is present.

If you transport WEEE, registration as a waste carrier is mandatory. Both import and export are subject to strict rules. If you want to import or export WEEE, first contact the authority responsible (OVAM, Bruxelles Environnement or Environnement Wallonie). Registration with OVAM is valid only in the Flemish region. Are you driving through Brussels, Wallonia or the European Union? Then it is best to check with the local authorities on what you need to do.

The following actors are excluded from the registration requirement to register as waste carriers:

• The supplier of goods who, in the context of the take-back obligation, of the acceptance obligation, or of voluntary take-back, on the occasion of a delivery of goods, brings empty packaging or discarded goods to their premises or to a collection point for discarded goods.
• The waste holder who, in the context of the take-back obligation, the acceptance obligation or a voluntary take-back, brings the waste back to their supplier of similar good.
• The recycling centre or reuse centre for EEE, which has undergone a visual pre-selection for reusability, transports the waste to a reuse centre for EEE, in light of eventual reuse.

WEEE

The export of WEEE to non-OECD countries is prohibited. You may not export hazardous waste such as WEEE to developing countries, even for treatment.

When exporting WEEE, for recovery or disposal, to countries in the EU or the OECD, a mandatory notification must be made to the competent authorities, which must approve these exports.

• Flanders
  • Exporter WEEE ^{(only available in Dutch)}
  • https://ovam.vlaanderen.be/kennisgevingsprocedure
  • Contact: contact form on cross-border transport
• Brussels
  • Waste management: your requirements? | Professionals Bruxelles Environnement ^{(only available in Dutch or French)}
  • contact: wasteshipment@leefmilieu.brussels
• Wallonia
  • Requesting an authorisation for the cross-border export of waste - transfert transfrontalier de déchets (TTD) ^{(only available in French)}
  • Contact: ttd.dsd.dgo3@spw.wallonie.be

EEE

Should the EEE be transferred to another country for processing, it is ensured that the EEE will be treated appropriately under conditions equivalent to those in Belgium. Transfer of used EEE must meet certain criteria:

1. Documents
   When transferring used EEE (and not WEEE), the holder must be able to present the following documents:

• an invoice and contract indicating that the EEE is fully functional and not intended for reuse;
• a proof of evaluation or testing of the EEE;
• a declaration that the EEE is not waste.

Exception: these documents are not required if the EEE is returned for warranty repairs or reuse by the producer.

2. Testing of EEE
   For the transfer of used EEE, tests must be conducted to confirm that the equipment is in good working order and does not contain hazardous substances. The results must be documented.
3. Other documents
   Each shipment of used EEE must be accompanied by a transport document and a declaration of responsibility.
4. Appropriate protection against damage during transport

In the absence of appropriate documentation or protection, the device is considered to be WEEE, leading to an illegal transfer.

Used EEE which does not meet the reuse criteria is collected, transported and recycled as waste.

Please note, that an exception applies in the following cases:

• Electrical or electronic appliances under warranty are returned to the producer or their representative for repair, in light of potential reuse;
• Professional, second-hand, appliances are returned to the manufacturer or their representative in countries where waste legislation allows them to be upgraded or repaired before being reused;
• Used and defective appliances, such as medical devices, are returned to the manufacturer or their representative for analysis of the causes of the defect, if such an analysis can only be conducted by them.