Background As stated in the final report of the European Commission study on RoHS (Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances) and WEEE directives, WEEE is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the EU. It makes up to around 4% of municipal waste. According to the 2007 United Nations University study, WEEE gathered from across the EU 27 currently amount to around 8.3-9.1 million tonnes per year. A large proportion of WEEE is disposed in landfills or in iron scrap sites depending on local or national practices. The quantities of collected WEEE in Romania are well below average, compared with other EU countries (Eurostat report 2010). Moreover, collection in Romania is significantly less efficient than the best EU practices. A huge potential for growth in collection rates exists, and more efforts could be taken to raise awareness and thus boost separate collection. For example, about 3-3.5 million mobile phones were sold in 2012 in Romania alone (according to a survey by GFK). ‘Urban mining’ and recycling of these phones could lead to the recovery of around 1 tonne of silver, 100 kg of gold, 30 kg of palladium and about 40 tonnes of copper. Objectives The main objective of the project is to raise awareness of the environmental issues surrounding the manufacture and use of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), the handling of WEEE and its treatment and recovery (including reuse and recycling). The project also aims to promote green energy with a special emphasis on households and school children in Romania. The project aims to engage all the relevant project stakeholders in a joint effort to tackle the problem of WEEE at national, regional and local level. An awareness campaign will alert target audiences, stakeholders and the general public of the risks WEEE poses on the environment and human health, if it is not properly managed, treated and recovered. Separate collection and the sorting and treatment of WEEE will be encouraged as a precondition for further actions in effective WEEE management. The campaign will focus on: Hazardous substances in WEEE; The recycling of electronic devices; Electronic equipment that is potentially the most harmful to the environment and human health; The location of collection facilities; and Further treatment and recovery of e-waste. Expected results: Better understanding of the need for effective WEEE treatment and handling; Better awareness of the existence of an environmentally friendly option for WEEE handling and treatment, including knowledge of existing collection facilities; Behavioral change among the target audiences by motivating them to better handle WEEE; Stronger relationships with local and central authorities and stakeholders to allow for a more transparent, credible and efficient regulatory system of issues related to WEEE management in Romania; Promotion of the use of energy from green resources; and An increase in the quantity of collected WEEE in the ECOTIC system of 10-15% annually over the course of the project, and of 2.5% - 4% in all Romania, based on ECOTIC's current market share.