Chile Sets Goals for Electrical Electronic Equipment

Chile’s Environmental Ministry (MMA) promulgated on February 28, 2022, a Decree establishing collection and recycling goals for batteries and Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE). Furthermore, Decree 207/2022 imposes obligations associated with priority products, batteries and electrical and electronic devices in order to prevent the generation of such waste and promote its reuse or recovery.

All batteries and EEE present in the Chilean market up to 1500 volts direct current or 1000 volts alternating current falls under scope. It is further established batteries and EEE categories and subcategories, which are:

·       Large Devices: EEE with an external dimension greater than 50 centimeters

o   Temperature Exchange Devices.

o   Other Large Devices.

o   Photovoltaic panels.

·       Small Devices: EEE not contained in the Large Devices category

·       Large Batteries: Batteries with a weight greater than 5 kilograms.

·       Small Batteries: Batteries not contained in the Large Batteries category.

Decree 207/2022 also provides limits of hazardous substances in batteries. Chile banned Large Batteries with mercury concentrations greater than 0.1% by weight and Small Batteries with cadmium concentrations greater than 0.01% by weight. Emergency equipment, alarms, and medical devices are exempt from this rule.

The collection goals shall reach a minimum threshold, continuously increasing each year:

Management systems may be individual or collective. Individual management system and collective system composed with a maximum of 20 independent producers must reach indicated goal based on batteries and EEE amounts placed into the market. Larger management systems may meet their targets with any batteries and EEE waste, not necessarily those produced or imported by them.

Interested parties may submit comments within 30 business days, counting from the publication date (March 10). Observations must be sent via the Citizen Consultations Portal.

The document is fully available here.