ABSTRACT
On 13 June 2000, the European Union (EU) adopted two proposals to deal with the problem of waste management and environmental pollution in Europe. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive [1] was aimed at reducing electrical waste, increasing recovery, recycling and minimising environmental impact; whilst the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive [2] introduced a substitution requirement for those substances in electronic equipment, which pose the main environmental problems during disposal and recycling of such waste.
