On June 21 and 28, 2023, an eco-point and an eco-island for the collection of small Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) were inaugurated in Campobasso and Milan. The two initiatives are part of the pilot overseen by the Italian RENEW Project partner Erion
The eco-point in Campobasso
Campobasso's eco-point was inaugurated on June 21, thanks to the collaboration between Erion and SEA SpA.
The facility is located in a former newsstand, which was used in the past as an infopoint on general waste collection, and it is now manned by specialized personnel.
Since June 28, when it was opened to the public, the collection point provides a dual service: on one hand, it allows citizens to receive information on WEEE and the benefits of recycling and, on the other hand, it allows them to dispose of their small WEEE (such as tablets, PCs, smartphones, light bulbs, batteries and TVs) for free.
"This initiative boosts collection and provides a further opportunity to the citizens of Campobasso, who will now be able to take advantage of the service launched with a dedicated information campaign", said Stefania Tomaro, Sole Director of SEA SpA.
"Communicating to citizens is fundamental, but it is equally important that they have the possibility to put virtuous behaviors into practice in a simple way", added Giorgio Arienti, General Manager of Erion WEEE. "Thanks to SEA, and thanks to EIT Raw Materials which financed this initiative, we can contribute to a real change capable of creating environmental, economic and social benefits".
The eco-island in Milan
On June 28, it was the turn of Milan, where a smart eco-island was opened thanks to the collaboration between Erion and Amsa.
The structure joins those already present in the city's nine municipalities, to give the people of Milan an additional option to drop off their small WEEE in a simple and immediate way: citizens can access the bin, which has been positioned in a very busy shopping center, by authenticating with their health card, and dispose of WEEE with a maximum size of 25 x 25 cm in complete autonomy. During the first year, the eco-island will also act as a meeting point for awareness-raising initiatives on the importance of WEEE recycling for the recovery and reintroduction of Secondary Raw Materials, including Critical Raw Materials (CRM), into new production cycles.
"If we really want to reach the WEEE collection target imposed by the European Commission (more than 10 kg per citizen) we must move to action. How? First of all, we need to communicate and raise awareness: Italians don't know what WEEE are, and they don't know how to properly dispose of them. Then, we need to simplify citizens' life: bringing in the joypad you no longer use, broken headphones, old electric toothbrushes... must be as simple as bringing in other household waste. Because, if doing the right thing is difficult, even the most virtuous people give up. We need to increase the ways of collecting electrical and electronic waste: projects like this, set in strategic places for citizens, are particularly important because they realize this possibility”, said Giorgio Arienti, General Manager of Erion WEEE. “This is why we are really happy that AMSA and EIT Raw Materials wanted to support us in this initiative, which we hope will be a positive example to be replicated wherever there is an opportunity".
