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3-12-2020

Cooperation agreement Open and Weee Nederland

November 30, 2020 | Today, the OPEN Foundation and WEEE Nederland B.V. signed a cooperation agreement. With this collaboration, the national coverage and continuity of the existing waste management structure for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE or e-waste) is guaranteed. The goal is to achieve the statutory collection target of 65 percent within two years and to make the e-washing sector circular in the long term. The OPEN Foundation assumes the producer responsibility for this from central management, on the basis of a decision (AVV) announced by the State Secretary. WEEE Netherlands is continuing its current collection, education and sorting concepts within this. 

Contribute to the transition

“The agreement with WEEE Nederland further optimizes a nationwide network of collectors, sorters and processors”, says Jan Vlak (project director of the OPEN Foundation). With the agreements made, the OPEN Foundation and WEEE Nederland aim to contribute to the transition to the circular economy from their own background, knowledge and experience. After the AVV has been awarded, the OPEN Foundation directs the achievement of the collection targets on behalf of the producers in the most effective and efficient way. WEEE Netherlands will then continue its current activities in the field of consultancy, collection, transport, sorting and processing of e-waste.

With the agreement between Stichting OPEN and WEEE Nederland, existing agreements with municipalities and (public) waste companies, recycling companies and other partners will be continued. “Our ideas will be continued in a new structure,” says Reint Sekhuis (director WEEE Netherlands). Social Return On Investment (SROI) with the deployment of people at a distance from the labor market also remains a spearhead in this respect. Connecting the circular economy and the social economy is of great value to producers and our society. This is confirmed with this agreement.

The continuity and national coverage of the existing collection and processing capacity is guaranteed at the moment the General Binding Statement (AVV) of the OPEN Foundation comes into effect.
The OPEN Foundation hopes for a soon final decision on this by State Secretary Van Veldhoven of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW). If the AVV is definitively awarded in 2020, the OPEN Foundation will be operational from the beginning of 2021 and will thus ensure the full implementation of the legal producer responsibility.