Provisional household WEEE collection figures for the final quarter of 2015, published by the Environment Agency yesterday (1 March) show that a total of 521,609 tonnes of WEEE was collected throughout the year.
This is more than the 512,610 tonnes of WEEE recorded as collected via the WEEE settlement centre, where WEEE schemes post evidence, which was used by the Department for Business (BIS) to set the proposed collection target for the coming year (see letsrecycle.com story).
The difference between the two figures may have arisen as schemes that have collected greater tonnages than needed to meet their collection targets have not posted the material as evidence.
However, it also raises questions over whether the currently proposed targets for 2016 have been set at a sufficiently challenging level, with the 2015 target having been exceeded by around 16,000 tonnes, rather than 6,000 tonnes as was previously reported.
The target for 2016 was set at close to 528,000 tonnes, only 7,000 tonnes more than was collected during 2015.
Targets
Stakeholders have been given until Friday (4 March) to respond to the consultation on the proposed target levels – and following on from the consultation BIS is expected to take a view on whether the latest data should be taken into consideration in respect of the 2016 target.
Commenting on the figures a spokesperson for BIS, said: “The latest figures show that overall collections are slightly higher than the targets set for WEEE Producer Compliance Schemes for 2015. BIS is currently seeking industry views on targets for 2016 and will confirm them in due course.”
Dr Philip Morton, chief executive of the compliance scheme Repic said he believed the data showed that BIS had set the proposed 2016 targets at an appropriate level, but said future discussion would centre on appropriate levels for display equipment, where tonnages are diminishing, and also for small mixed WEEE.
He said: “BIS’ approach has been the most pragmatic one to take, taking into account the trends of EEE and WEEE.”
Looking at the individual WEEE categories for 2015 more closely, collections of lamps and IT equipment appear to have benefitted from a boost in tonnages, likely to have been a result of the switch in classification of ‘dual use WEEE’.
Definitions of household and non-household WEEE were amended after the UK’s classification of household and business WEEE was found to be at odds with that held by the European Commission.
Dual use
The difference centred on the interpretation of ‘dual use’ WEEE, which includes items such as PCs or television screens, which could conceivably be used in business or by consumers. In the UK, the definition was also qualified by the quantity of WEEE being presented for collection.
Elsewhere the figures show that tonnages of display equipment have continued to decline, with around 74,000 tonnes collected in 2015, compared to 83,000 tonnes 12 months earlier.
Commenting on the figures Vikkie Fitzgerald, project manager at Clarity Environmental, said: “There are no particular surprises in the EEE data; rather the figures paint a picture of steady growth within the electrical and electronic equipment industry, showing an increase in production across each of the 14 categories from 2014 to 2015. The Environment Agency has identified a couple of minor anomalies in the category 5 and category 10 figures, which will revise the numbers downwards once corrected.
“The WEEE figures show that the UK has exceeded its collection target by more than 14,500 tonnes. Comparing individual categories from 2014 to 2015, you can see the impact of the dual use definition change most clearly in category 3 [IT equipment], with a 11,282 tonne increase year-on-year. As we have seen for some time now, display tonnage continues to fall, with just over 74,000 tonnes collected in 2015, which is almost a 10,000 tonne drop from 2014. Cat 12 [cooling appliances] has exceeded its target collection figure as well as showing a notable increase from 2014 of 6,852.594 tonnes, which is the equivalent of more than 200,000 fridges being recycled over just one year.”
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