ICT Waste, or E-waste is a term used to cover almost all types of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that has or could enter the waste stream. Although e-waste is a general term, it can be considered to cover TVs, computers, mobile phones, white goods (e.g. fridges, washing machines, dryers etc), home entertainment and stereo systems, toys, toasters, kettles – almost any household or business item with circuitry or electrical components with power or battery supply.

Every year, end of life vehicles generate between 8 and 9 million tonnes of waste in the Community which should be managed correctly. In 1997, the European Commission adopted a Proposal for a Directive which aims at making vehicle dismantling and recycling more environmentally friendly, sets clear quantified targets for reuse, recycling and recovery of vehicles and their components and pushes producers to manufacture new vehicles also with a view to their recyclability. New and stricter EU legislation aims at increasing the recycling levels of ELVs to 95% and higher.

The European Packaging and packaging waste directive 94/62/EC deals with the problems of packaging waste and the currently permitted heavy metal content in packaging. The Directive obligates member states to meet targets for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste. The Directive covers all packaging placed on the Community market. Targets are set as a percentage of packaging flowing into the waste stream. The Directive sets targets for recovery and recycling, requires the encouragement of the use of recycled packaging materials in the manufacturing of packaging and other products and it requires packaging to comply with 'essential requirements' which include the minimization of packaging volume and weight, and the design of packaging to permit its reuse or recovery - requires the implementation of measures to prevent packaging waste in addition to preventative measures under the 'essential requirements', which may include measures to encourage the re-use of packaging.