Dear Visitor,

Welcome to the E-waste Recycling Authority Non-profit Company (ERA NPC) website.

This website is designed to keep you informed about the latest developments in South Africa’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislative and regulatory environment.

The website is also designed to facilitate your participation in ERA’s WEEE EPR Scheme.

1. The National Environmental Management Waste Act (NEMWA) No. 59/2008 makes provision for the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility programmes in South Africa.
2. In 2014, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) signalled that EPR will be implemented in accordance with Section 28 of the NEMWA, and in 2017 a Notice was published for the WEEE sector to prepare and submit Industry Waste Management Plans for approval and funding by government via an e-waste levy. Following a year-long hiatus, the current Minister of the DEFF withdrew the Section 28 Notice calling for an Industry Waste Management Plan. While doing so, she also signalled that government would be seeking instead to implement EPR Regulations developed in terms of Section 18 of the NEMWA.
3. On November 2020, the Minister issued EPR Regulations (equally applicable for WEEE, lighting waste and paper and packaging waste) and specific Notices for each of these waste streams. The WEEE notice includes WEEE specific details including the envisaged collection and recycling targets over the next five years.
4. In December 2020, following further representation on the matter to address a range of remaining industry concerns, the Minister convened a Task Team of all sectors affected by the EPR Regulations. The aim of this industry led task team has been to formulate a set of proposed amendments aimed at making the Regulations unambiguous and hence readily implementable.
5. As part of having provided this opportunity, the Minister also extended the implementation deadline for the Regulations and WEEE Notice from 5 November 2020 to 5 May 2021.
6. The amended Regulations and WEEE Notice will be published around mid-March 2021, for implementation by 5 May 2021.

a) Register as an EEE Producer with DEFF as from 5 May 2021

b) Develop and implement a WEEE EPR Scheme or join an existing WEEE EPR Scheme as from 5 May 2021

c) All EPR Schemes must be approved by the DEFF and performance on a range of targets as specified in the EPR Regulations and WEEE Notice must be reported to DEFF

d) Penalties for non-compliance are specified in the EPR Regulations and WEEE Notice

♦ The E-waste Recycling Authority (ERA) is a registered Non-profit Company (NPC).

♦ ERA NPC Registration Number with the CIPC is 2018/248881/08

♦ ERA NPC is registered as a Producer Responsibility (PRO) with the Department of Environment, Forestry and      Fisheries (DEFF) in terms of Section 28 of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (NEMWA) N0. 59/2008. In December 2020, ERA submitted its request for registration as a PRO in terms of Section 18 of the NEMWA as well, but will have to wait until 5 May 2021 before this can be processed. Currently there are no registered PROs in terms of Section 18 of the NEMWA.

♦ During 2020, ERA NPC worked with the DEFF and the Minister to formulate an Extended Producer Responsibility Framework and Regulations in terms of Section 18 of the NEMWA.

♦ On 5 November 2020, the Minister published the Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations, as well as a WEEE Notice. Both the Regulations and the Notice were effective 5 November 2020.

♦ ERA NPC, alongside industry representatives for other waste streams implicated by the Section EPR Regulations and the respective Notices lobbied for and was granted an implementation deferment of 6 months, thus making the effective implementation date of the EPR Regulations and the WEEE Notice the 5th of May 2021.