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1.  What is the WEEE Calculator?
2.  What do I need to do to get the calculator to work?
3.  What are the material output streams?
4.  Do I have to use the calculator?
5.  Does the calculator demonstrate evidence of recycling recovery?
6.  Can the calculator be used for reporting compliance?
7.  What are protocol and Non-protocol based calculations?
8.  What is the difference between recycling and recovery?
9.  Will WEEE protocol values change in the future?
10.  Why does the SMW tonnage always reduce by 14%?


1.  What is the WEEE Calculator?
The WEEE Calculator is designed to help with the calculation of recycling/recovery rates for WEEE recycling. It is a tool to help display data provided on WEEE recycling and recovery.
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2.  What do I need to do to get the calculator to work?
The calculations have been made as simple as possible and they follow a step by step process. You will need: the date range over which you have been processing and securing evidence of recycling/recovery, the weight and type of materials processed over that period and the evidence, by weight, to demonstrate what proportion of the WEEE you handled was recycled/recovered.
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3.  What are the material output streams?

These fall within three categories Metals, Plastic and Other materials.

Metals ?Include all ferrous and non ferrous metals
Plastics ?Include all hard plastics
Other materials ?include all other components not falling in to those categories already mentioned and include for example glass, concrete, rubber, chip board, insulation foam.
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4.  Do I have to use the calculator?
No. This calculator was created as a guide. You may wish to create your own calculator suited to your specific operations and to the specific materials or categories of WEEE you handle. If you do not wish to use the protocols then creation of your own calculator will be required.
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5.  Does the calculator demonstrate evidence of recycling recovery?
No. Entering data in to the calculator does not demonstrate evidence or compliance. The evidence required to demonstrate recycling/recovery must be secured by the AATF, and must be valid for the materials and volumes they have processed. The validity of the evidence is the responsibility of the user.
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6.  Can the calculator be used for reporting compliance?
No. The calculator is intended to demonstrate guide results only. The operator is responsible for the validity of the evidence they have secured to demonstrate recycling/recovery rates. The user is also responsible for the validity of the data entered on to the calculator.
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7.  What are protocol and Non-protocol based calculations?
Protocol calculations use average compositions of item types and materials based upon typical samples of material; in this case it includes Small Mixed WEEE and LDAs. Non-protocol calculations are those WEEE materials for which no protocol is provided, for example CRTs and fridges. It is not a requirement to use the protocols and you are free to derive your own values based on your processing operation.
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8.  What is the difference between recycling and recovery?

Recycling means the reprocessing of material into new material, e.g. melting steel scrap into new steel or waste glass into new glass.

Recovery is a waste management term meaning recycling, burning with energy recovery and composting.

For WEEE recycling you will have both a recycling and a recovery target.

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9.  Will WEEE protocol values change in the future?
The answer is yes they may. As more data becomes available during the implementation of the WEEE regulations it may be possible to derive new protocols. In addition, further research may also be commissioned to refine the current data. If this happens WEEEprotocol.org has been designed to be updated, the values within the calculator can then be adjusted.
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10.  Why does the SMW tonnage always reduce by 14%?

Within the SMW Protocol there is a non-WEEE fraction (see the protocol reports). This non-WEEE includes dust in vacuum cleaner bags, grass cuttings, household lights, non electric lawn mowers (petrol/push), typewriters, and other metal items. This non-WEEE fraction is therefore deducted before the calculator processes the estimated recycling rates.

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