Under the current timetable, producers and retailers of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) have to register by August 13 2005. The companies would then commence their allocated collections from this date.
But Phil Conran, recycling manager at Biffa, warned yesterday that with all the uncertainties surrounding the forthcoming WEEE regulations, there would not be sufficient time for producers and retailers to register their data and for allocations of collections to be organised by that date.
Speaking at the Transform WEEE conference in London, Mr Conran said: “Should we now accept that starting producer responsibility on August 13 is simply not going to work? Perhaps we should learn from the packaging experience and set August 13 as the deadline for data, but actually start the allocation system in January 2006.”
Transform is a partnership between Biffa and European Metals Recycling, two companies that are working together to provide WEEE collection and recycling services.
Mr Conran, who has a major role in Transform, said that one of the major concerns of industry is the lack of a definition for the proposed National Clearing House, the organisation that will allocate the responsibility for WEEE to producers and organise collections for local authorities. He said the Clearing House needs to be up and running before the registration process is begun.
Mr Conran said: “The Environmental Agency doesn't want to have to start registering the producers and then hand the information over to another organisation. We need to have a Clearing House in place before we begin the registrations.”
Another of the problems the sector is facing is the lack of clear treatment guidelines being in place. Tony Knowles of W&S; recycling said: “Legislation impacts immediately, we need to have clear guidelines now so there isn't a panic when it comes about.”
Retailers
Vivien Williams, speaking on behalf of Dixons Group and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) voiced her concern over the retailer responsibility for collecting and recycling WEEE. Raising the question of whether retail stores will be able to be Designated Collection Points, she suggested that although this option would benefit retailers it was unlikely to be feasible due to space and safety issues.
She also pointed out that there was an uncertainty with the retailers as to how flexible they will be able to be, asking: “If a retailer does delivery take back, will that count as 'in store take back'?”
Ms Williams said that the Dixon's Group are now experimenting with a new take back service: “We have been running a take back scheme in eleven of our stores in the Midlands, in an attempt to find out how it would affect us. It's early days, but I would say we have received more WEEE returns than we estimated.”
The other option offered to retailers, rather than provide a take back service, is to join a Retail Compliance Scheme, likely to be organised by the BRC. The BRC are about to commission a new research, jointly with the DTI, on the collection network to establish what funding may be required to develop the infrastructure for WEEE.
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