WEEELABEX Statement 2025: What changed and what you need to know
The new version of the WEEELABEX Statement brings updated requirements for fraction traceability, minimum recovery rates and reporting obligations for treatment operators in Romania.
WEEELABEX (WEEE Label of Excellence) is the European benchmark standard for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment. The updated version of the Statement introduces significant changes that directly affect how treatment operators in Romania conduct their activities.
Key Changes in the WEEELABEX Statement 2025
1. Extended Traceability
The new version requires complete traceability from WEEE reception to the final destination of each fraction resulting from treatment. This means that every treated batch must be transparently documented: origin, treatment method, resulting fractions, and their final destination.
For treatment operators in Romania, this entails implementing far more rigorous record-keeping systems than those previously used. Traditional input-output registers are no longer sufficient.
2. Updated Minimum Recovery Rates
Minimum recovery rates have been revised upward for several equipment categories:
- Cooling equipment (refrigerators, freezers): 85% recovery rate
- Screens (monitors, TVs): 80% recovery rate
- IT&C equipment (computers, laptops): 80% recovery rate
- Large equipment (washing machines, ovens): 85% recovery rate
- Small equipment (vacuum cleaners, mixers): 75% recovery rate
It is not enough to recycle based on "common sense" – you must demonstrate with concrete data that you have achieved these recovery targets.
3. Strengthened Reporting Obligations
Reporting requirements become more detailed and more frequent. WEEELABEX-certified treatment operators must submit quarterly reports that include: quantities received by category, resulting fractions, actual recovery rates, and the destination of each fraction.
Impact on Treatment Operators in Romania
Romania currently has a limited number of WEEELABEX-certified treatment operators, but pressure is increasing on multiple fronts: Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) are increasingly demanding certification, and European legislation is moving towards making it mandatory.
Treatment operators who do not align with WEEELABEX requirements risk losing contracts with major PROs and being excluded from the legal recycling circuit.
What You Can Do Now
- Assess your current processes against the new requirements
- Implement a digital traceability system
- Prepare your team through training on the new procedures
- Request an internal readiness audit before the external audit
- Consult an independent specialist for a gap analysis
Consultancy vs. External Audit: Why Separation Matters
It is essential to understand that the firm providing consultancy cannot also conduct the external WEEELABEX certification audit. This separation is not optional – it is a fundamental requirement that ensures the independence and credibility of the process. At WiseWEEE, we provide comprehensive certification preparation, but the actual audit is carried out by independent accredited bodies.