European Appliance Manufacturers to Foot Own Waste Bills

Lynn Schenkman

Brussels, Belgium -- Under an agreement the European Union governments and parliament reached Friday, European electronics manufacturers will have to pay for their own products' waste disposal. The electronics industry has indicated that consumer prices might rise to account for the change, which is expected to go in effect by 2006. The European Commission estimates that appliances, such as refrigerators, toasters, computers and coffee makers, account for approximately 6 million tons of waste throughout Europe.