215. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the policy surrounding e-waste, particularly around data centres; the way in which the tracking from cradle to grave is documented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57793/26]

E-waste refers to waste arising from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). The European Union (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Regulations 2014 provides the legislative framework for the management of waste electrical and electronic Equipment (WEEE) or e-waste in Ireland and sets out the responsibilities of producers when placing such equipment on the market and when it reaches end of life.

While the WEEE Framework does not require the tracking of individual items of EEE throughout its lifecycle, it requires producers and authorised waste operators to maintain records and report on quantities of EEE placed on the market and WEEE collected, treated, recovered and recycled.

Ireland uses the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model to manage a number of waste streams, including WEEE. EPR operates under the ‘producer pays’ principle where producers are responsible for financing the collection and environmentally sound management of their products at end of life. All producers of EEE must register as a producer with the national producer registration body, Producer Register Limited (PRL), and report the types and quantities of EEE they place on the Irish market.

Producers of Business to Consumer (B2C) EEE (i.e. household or domestic products) must join an approved EPR scheme such as WEEE Ireland or ERP Ireland, which provide collective compliance on behalf of their producer members including the collection and treatment of WEEE. These schemes publish Annual Reports, outlining their collection, recycling and recovery activities.

Producers of Business to Business (B2B) EEE (i.e. products supplied commercial/industrial purposes, including data centres) must self-comply with the Regulations. This includes informing its business customers of available take back arrangements, accepting WEEE when required, ensuring WEEE is transferred to authorised waste operators for treatment and reporting annually to the Environmental Protection Agency on quantities of WEEE managed.

Further information regarding the obligations of B2B and B2C producers is available on the EPA’s website:

[<ahref="www.epa.ie/our-services/compliance--enforcement/waste/weee/information-for-eee-producers/">www.epa.ie/our-services/compliance--enforcement/waste/weee/information-for-eee-producers/</a>].