GE Healthcare-Product Technology - Environmental Regulations - WEEE

WEEE

What is the goal of the WEEE directive

European Directive 2002/96/EC (WEEE)on waste electrical and electronic equipment, in force since August 13th 2005, includes the following provisions:

To preserve the environment from uncontrolled waste disposal of EEE (Electrical and Electronic Equipment).
To reinforce the need for the reuse, recycling and recovery of EEE at the end of its life.
To reinforce the responsibilities of all operators involved in the life cycle of EEE.

GE Healthcare and WEEE compliance

GE Healthcare complies in full with this European directive and will ensure:

That information is provided to you about the WEEE collection systems available.
That WEEE is reused, recycled or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
That information is provided to recyclers in order to facilitate the identification of WEEE controlled substances that must be removed prior to treatment.
To report to all Competent Authorities the amounts recycled, reused, and treated.

GE Healthcare will:

Improve the environmental performance of all those involved during the normal life cycle of electrical and electronic equipment, such as producers, distributors and end-users, and, in particular, those parties involved in the treatment and recycling of WEEE.
Create clarity for you regarding WEEE by proposing, upfront, at the time of purchase, to take back GE equipment at its end of its useful life and to properly dispose of, reuse or recycle the equipment.
Offer to collect your old equipment and ensure it is transported to a certified recycling center for proper disposal.
Ensure selective treatment of particular types of components in accordance with the WEEE directive.

GE Healthcare ensures:

That our treatment and recycling operations are conducted by reputable firms.

Given the complexity of medical equipment, a GE Sales representative will provide a quotation for transportation and recycling of WEEE in accordance with specific regional regulations. The de-installation and decontamination remains your responsibility.

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RoHS

The RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC) stands for "the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment". This Directive bans the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants.

The substances ban of the RoHS Directive came into force on 1 July 2006. At the current time, the RoHS directive is not applicable to medical devices. However, it is anticipated that this is only a temporary exemption and that medical devices could be added to the scope of the directive as soon as 2009.

GE Healthcare is already today striving to make its products RoHS compliant while guaranteeing the highest possible level of protection for health, safety, and the environment.
GE Healthcare ensures:

That our products will fully comply with the RoHS Directive as soon as the Directive will include medical devices or earlier.
That our products comply with all other environment, health and safety laws and regulations that apply to our operations.
That information is provided to our customers about the RoHS compliance of our products.
That we will work to fulfill the highest environment, health and safety standards.