Elections, Politics and WEEE Compliance

Constituting nearly 4% of our waste and still rapidly increasing, waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has become an alarming issue. The implementation of WEEE, together with the Restriction of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directives, targets significant reduction of WEEE being disposed of in landfills, as well as the restriction of the use of chemical waste like mercury and lead in electrical equipment. Ever since they have been actualised, the directives have brought about much pressure on the government and politicians because it affects all manufacturers and producers of WEEE.
With weee compliance, certain problems occur. For one thing, the cost of collecting, treating, re-using, and recycling is shouldered by the producer and will therefore affect their finances. Next, education of company staff, as well as the customers, also incurs additional expenses. Third, implementation in a bigger scale is difficult because different states have different policies. For this reason, chemical waste, recycling and weee compliance are often included in the campaign agenda of politicians during elections.

An election is a process in which the people will get to choose who will serve them. In the UK, there are five kinds: general elections, elections to parliaments and assemblies, elections to the European Parliament, mayoral, and local elections. It is during the election that reform programs are being introduced. As such, many people often look forward to elections to see some changes take place around them.
If legislation regarding waste management and recycling is being implemented, it often has effects on the country’s economy. A perfect example would be that of the WEEE directive. With member states not fully equipped with knowledge and skills compared to others, it could be a cause for problems in the market. Many companies call for better guidelines or platforms, because different capitals have different interpretations, and the result is often inconsistency and financial loss. With such an issue clouding many of the EU businesses, it is only natural for politicians to feel pressured whenever elections come along.
During elections, politicians need to be prepared for anything. Strategies for winning, votes, campaigns and others need to be taken into consideration. Debates are particularly crucial and could contribute greatly to winning or losing more points from the public. Often on such occasions, politicians will be questioned regarding their platforms on hot issues, and among them is of course on weee compliance. A sufficient amount of preparation can certainly help any politician. A good platform is imperative, but it is important to note that in this case, the term “good” can be ambiguous. Since it affects manufactures, producers and end-users alike, it is necessary for the politician to make a stand that benefits all sides. The most that industries call for now is basically a more comprehensive guide for all relevant businesses all throughout the EU, so that problems such as pricing can be resolved.

Elections are crucial to the stability of a country’s economy. By being able to choose the right group of people who can lead us well, we can move forward in our direction. Now the problem with this is if we choose the wrong people then things will go down the drain, too. Understanding the politicians’ platforms, or their stand on the issues that surround us today, will definitely aid us in deciding who to vote for. The issue on waste management and weee compliance may not seem so significant at the onset, but we will eventually realise how important it is when things go awry. Let us hope it will not have to come to that. By putting in the right people to do the job of leading the country, we can keep ourselves from facing terrible consequences later on.