A second organisation has been appointed to issue accreditation for the official reuse specification for used electrical items, which is among the measures aimed at stopping illegal shipments of WEEE.
The PAS 141 specification which was developed by industry experts working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is awarded to treatment facilities that comply with best practice in preparing used electrical items for reuse.
Certification body Really Green Credentials which also runs a WEEE compliance service has been appointed by the standards coordinator Valpak to assess firms hoping to achieve the specification, following an audit by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
They are the second organisation to be appointed to issue accreditation for the scheme alongside Oakdene Hollins which was signed up at the launch of the standard in February (see letsrecycle.com story).
Valpak says that the appointment of a second accreditation body will provide greater competition and give reuse organisations a choice of which one to use.
Accreditation
Valpak chairman and former environment secretary Lord Deben, said: As Chairman of Valpak Im delighted to welcome Really Green Credentials to the PAS 141 Scheme. With the scheme launching earlier this year, having Really Green Credentials on board as a second Certification Body marks an exciting new phase in the development of PAS 141 and will help meet the demand from re-use organisations wishing to become PAS 141 certified.
Currently it is illegal to export waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) overseas, although functioning items can be sent abroad for sale as reusable electrical goods.
PAS 141 is intended to make it easier for regulators to identify illegal exports of WEEE which are often masked as legal shipments of electrical goods for reuse as reused equipment from PAS 141 approved organisations will carry labels to identify that they have been processed in compliance with the standard.
The standard is also intended to address demand from consumers for reassurance that used equipment is electrically safe to use and functionally fit for purpose.
Commenting on the appointment, Really Green Credentials managing director Julie Ann Adams, said: Customers still need reassurance that refurbished products are up to scratch, and that unwanted appliances are treated appropriately, with secure removal of confidential data. Reuse organisations which opt for the independent certification will be well positioned to exploit increased confidence in their products and services to leverage new business.
Details of the PAS 141 scheme were unveiled in April 2011, ahead of the specifications launch in February this year. The Specification has also been transmitted to CENELEC (the European Standardisation Body) as help towards the development of an EU-wide standard under the recently revised WEEE Directive.
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