BIS gets backing for changes to WEEE system

Electronics producers, recyclers and WEEE compliance schemes have broadly backed government plans to overhaul the way that the compliance system for waste electrical and electronic equipment is run in the UK.

And, plans to implement a matching system to pair up collection sites and compliance schemes or compulsory targets and a compliance fee for schemes- earmarked by the government as its preferred options for change – have emerged as the most favoured of the proposals.

Findings from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) consultation on the proposed changes to the system were published today (August 23), and show that stakeholders overwhelmingly favoured plans for alterations to the regime.

But, the responses do not determine which option the government will pursue – BIS is still compiling a formal response to the consultation submissions. The BIS response will indicate how the new regulations will look and is due to be published next month, having originally been due out eight weeks after the end of the consultation. The new regulations are due to come into effect on January 1 2014 although final confirmation of the date has still to be given.

Four proposed options for the future of the WEEE system were outlined in the consultation, which was launched as part of the process of bringing the requirements of the recast WEEE Directive into UK law. It was also carried out in the wake of concerns from some producers that the cost of compliance with the regulations, in their view, did not reflect the true cost of recycling.

The options are:

• Option 1: No change and continue with the current system;
• Option 2: Introduce a National Producer Compliance Scheme, instead of competition between current compliance schemes;
• Option 3: Setting targets for compliance schemes along with a compliance fee if these are not met, instead of the trading of WEEE evidence data between collection schemes, and;
• Option 4: Matching collection sites to compliance schemes.

According to BIS analysis of the responses, Option 4 was identified as the proposal ranked as the first choice by the most respondents (116) with producers and their trade associations, primarily in favour of the option as it would significantly cut compliance costs. Some support for Option 4 also came from compliance schemes.

Oppposition

But, BIS noted that local authorities were the most vocal opponents to this option, as it would remove their ability to choose their own PCS.

Despite Option 4 gaining a greater number of first choice votes, Option 3 – compulsory targets for compliance schemes and the imposition of a fee if these are not met was marked as either first or second choice by 97% of respondents.

This was the option favoured by the majority of local authorities and their representative bodies as it retains a number of aspects of the existing system, and allows them to retain choice over who is responsible for the collection of WEEE from designated collection facilities (DCFs).

Meanwhile, the proposal to establish a national compliance scheme was identified as having virtually no support from any of the stakeholder groups, with 194 respondents (93%) choosing it as their 3rd or 4th ranked option and only 1% choosing it as their first choice.

Finally, Option 1 do nothing had the highest number of respondents selecting it as their last favoured option (132), with producers, distributors and some trade bodies mainly opposing the proposal.

According to BIS, PCSs who opposed Option 1 generally felt the current system unfairly penalises under-collecting PCSs and therefore wanted to see a change to the way the system works.