WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. WEEE refers to discarded or no longer used electronic and electrical equipment, such as household appliances, computers, mobile phones, televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.

Due to the increasing demand for electronic and electrical equipment in modern society, the production of WEEE is also rapidly increasing. These discarded equipment contain many harmful substances to the environment and human health, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, polybrominated biphenyls (BFRs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), among other toxic chemicals.

2012/19/EU refers to the Directive 2012/19/EU on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, also known as the WEEE Directive, adopted by the European Parliament and Council in July 2012.

This directive aims to improve the level of recycling, reuse, and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) to protect the environment and human health, while promoting sustainable resource utilization. The WEEE directive applies to all electrical and electronic equipment sold in the EU market, including household appliances, IT equipment, communication equipment, medical equipment, etc.

According to the WEEE directive, manufacturers and distributors are responsible for ensuring that the equipment they sell can be safely and sustainably disposed of at the end of its lifecycle. These responsibilities include:

Obligation to reclaim: Manufacturers and distributors need to provide appropriate recycling facilities to ensure that consumers can recycle the equipment they purchased for free.

Handling obligations: Manufacturers are responsible for establishing appropriate equipment recycling and disposal systems to ensure that equipment is effectively disposed of and meets environmental regulations.

Labeling obligation: Manufacturers are required to label identification information on their products and provide necessary instructions for accurate identification, classification, and handling during equipment handling.

The WEEE directive also encourages member states to establish and promote recycling infrastructure, and to strengthen public and corporate awareness and education to promote the recycling and reuse of waste equipment.

In summary, "2012/19/EU" refers to the EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, aimed at promoting sustainable disposal and resource recovery of equipment to protect the environment and human health.