WASTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICAL EQUIPMENT FORUM

Their core work

The WEEE Forum is a Brussels-based association representing compliance schemes for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) across Europe. They specialize in improving e-waste collection systems, developing data standards for raw materials recovery, and advancing certification schemes for proper waste treatment. Their practical value lies in bridging policy, industry, and waste management operators — they know how WEEE collection actually works across different national systems and can mobilize a Europe-wide network of producer responsibility organizations.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2015-2019) centered on building foundational knowledge: mapping where secondary raw materials exist (ProSUM), improving raw materials data quality (ORAMA), and benchmarking collection systems (COLLECTORS). From 2018 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward circular economy models and digital infrastructure — ecodesign, circular services (C-SERVEES), voluntary certification (CEWASTE), and most recently digital product threads (CircThread). The trajectory is clear: from counting and cataloguing waste streams to enabling the systems that keep materials circulating.

Moving from passive data collection toward active digital systems for circular product lifecycle management — expect them to be deeply involved in Digital Product Passport initiatives.

How they like to work

Primarily a participant (5 of 6 projects), joining large consortia rather than leading them — their one coordination role was ProSUM, their earliest and largest-funded project. With 130 unique partners across 28 countries, they function as a well-connected hub organization that brings industry representation and pan-European WEEE data to diverse consortia. Their association nature means they contribute policy knowledge, member networks, and real-world operational data rather than deep technical R&D.

Exceptionally broad network of 130 unique partners across 28 countries, reflecting their role as a pan-European association. Their reach spans nearly all EU member states, making them a valuable connector for any consortium needing access to national WEEE systems.

What sets them apart

The WEEE Forum is not a research lab or a consultancy — they are the voice of Europe's producer responsibility organizations for e-waste, giving them unmatched access to real operational data on what actually gets collected and recycled. For any project needing ground-truth data on WEEE flows, collection rates, or treatment practices across multiple countries, they are the natural partner. Their transition into digital product data makes them especially relevant for upcoming EU Digital Product Passport regulations.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ProSUM
  Their only coordinated project and largest funding (EUR 555K) — built the first European database of secondary raw materials in WEEE, batteries, and vehicles.
• CircThread
  Most recent project (2021-2025) signaling their strategic pivot toward digital circular economy infrastructure and data contracting.
• CEWASTE
  Developed a voluntary certification scheme for waste treatment — directly applicable to industry compliance and could become a market standard.