Speaking at recent meeting of the Associate Parliamentary Waste Group, Lorie Randall of DARP claimed: “Landfill firms don't want to fund recycling because of fears of competition.”
Her comments prompted John Gummer, former Conservative secretary of state for the environment, to tell Ms Randall that she was wrong in her thinking and pointed out that the LTCS had not been set up to fund direct recycling activity.
Ms Randall's comments came only days before DARP launched a new network in Devon to encourage the recycling of electrical equipment and supported by supported by LTCS funding through the Onyx Environmental Trust.
The network was opened by Caroline Jackson MEP, who said: “The WEEE Directive is due to become law here in 2004. It has high targets for the collection, treatment and recycling of electrical equipment, ranging from computers to toasters. This Directive poses a particular environmental challenge for the south west. The hope is that it can also provide new business opportunities.”
Components
The day included an artist-led workshop, where the shapes of components from unwanted appliances (pictured) were used to create a flag design to commemorate the launch. 
Amy Griffiths, project coordinator, said: “We wanted everyone to get close up to what we are dealing with – the insides of washing machines and cookers, and to think about what they are worth and how they can be reused and reprocessed. It is now time to think about the practicalities of this law.”
She added that “one of the aims of the project is to keep the collection, storage and assessment of WEEE local – to keep the profits of processing in the region. We want to start building an infrastructure through existing enterprises, so that there is an efficient network established before the Directive comes in.”
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