ERP holds most council WEEE collection contracts

The figures reveal that the producer compliance scheme (PCS) run by ERP Recycling holds the largest number of contracts with local authorities for the collection of waste electrical equipment from their designated collection facilities (DCFs).

With 57 of 181 authorities listed in the data giving the company's PCS clearance to collect WEEE from their sites, it has comfortably proved to be the most popular choice among local councils.

Valpak, with clearance received from 35 councils, and Electrolink with 26 councils contracted, have both made significant inroads in terms of signing agreements with authorities.

REPIC, DHL and Veolia's schemes account for WEEE collections from DCFs in the majority of the remaining local authorities, with eight more companies each holding contracts with between one and seven councils.

Contracts

Prior to the introduction of the WEEE regulations in May 2007, the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) advised local authorities to enter into contracts of between six and 18 months with a PCS, through a non-financial tendering process.

Speaking to letsrecycle.com today, ERP UK's general manager, Scott Butler, revealed that the company was pleased with the progress of its PCS.

“We're very happy, it gives us around a 15% market share,” he explained, adding that the signing of its contracts was in line with the company's strategy for fulfilling its producer obligations.

However, he also highlighted the issues that had arisen during the first few months of working under the WEEE regulations, explaining that, when signing contracts with councils, “the challenge was the shortness of time”, adding that “we're pleased with what we achieved in a time-constrained environment”.

Mr Butler indicated that the firm had encountered challenges in balancing obligations in particular categories of WEEE, but stated that “we're okay, in the main we're pretty near”.

“Given the huge uncertainties across the UK WEEE system, we're quite happy with where we've ended up,” he concluded.

Deadline

The publication of the clearance information comes just weeks before the first deadline for PCSs to submit evidence that will indicate how close they have come to fulfilling their member producers' obligations to recycle or reuse WEEE.

Evidence must be provided to the government's settlement centre by April 31; although trading of evidence between PCS to allow them to meet their obligations is permitted until the end of May, with a final declaration of evidence due on June 1.

The need for some PCSs to buy and sell evidence has previously caused difficulties for some companies, with Eletrolink and REPIC finally reaching agreement on a price to trade their evidence earlier this month, after a lengthy stalemate (see letsrecycle.com story).