The costs and benefits of extended producer responsibility: an evaluation of the Italian waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management system

This chapter carries out a cost-benefit analysis, both at present and up to 2030, of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme managing waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Italy. A set of scenarios for generation and management of WEEE is proposed, taking into account operational, institutional, behavioural and technological factors. Net industrial costs as well as economic and environmental benefits - comprising the value of primary raw materials saved and the monetization of greenhouse gas emissions avoided thanks to the recovery of WEEE - are estimated in each scenario. The results show that sustainable consumer and producer practices can reduce WEEE generation by more than 30 per cent compared to business as usual. Substantial net benefits are associated with current waste management operations. Depending on the waste management scenario, higher collection rates would result in yearly net benefits that are two to four times higher than the current benefits.