The new service, named Transform, will collect surplus appliances from both businesses and private individuals. All materials that can be recycled will be processed by EMR, with the residue going to landfill.
An EMR spokeswoman said: “Whatever shape the legislation finally takes, we will be able to cope with it.”
She said that EMR was already working with some local authorities to improve their segregation of electrical waste. Endeva runs delivery and repair services for electrical manufacturers and retailers, and its fleet of 1,000 vehicles makes some 1.5 million home visits each year.
Once Transform is running, individuals will be able to call one of 300 people at Endeva's call centre to arrange collection of unwanted appliances under its consumer take-back service. It also operates a service to refurbish appliances for reuse.
Biffa will provide a collection service for businesses, and from civic amenity sites and retailers. It operates 50 collection depots, 20 transfer stations and 1,200 vehicles.
EMR said that it already recycles more than 300,000 tonnes of electrical waste each year, a total it said was twice the volume handled by its largest competitor. It will also examine new technologies and markets for end products. The company has 60 licensed sites, with two specialist fridge recycling plants and two dense media separation plants.
In the run-up to the directive's implementation, Transform will be publicising its service and talking to councils and the electrical industry to shape the service required. This may include enhanced segregation at civic amenity sites, and envelopes in which householders can post small items of electrical waste.
Endeva's head of product development, Nigel Thomas, said: “We're excited at our role in Transform and believe that this partnership means we're well positioned to help all our customers achieve the targets set by the EU.”
Biffa's recycling manager Phil Conran hopes that Transform will challenge the perception that data lies at the heart of producer responsibility. “Supplying data is only part of the story,” he said. “Transform will be a working entity, operating at the national level and shouldering the entire burden for customers.”
The WEEE Directive sets a collection target of 4kg per capita by 2007. The UK would need to recover 240,000 tonnes of electrical waste each year to meet this target.
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