BIS outlines planned 2014 WEEE collection targets

Compliance schemes have been given an indication as to how collection targets for each category of WEEE will be calculated under the new compliance regime in 2014.

Proposals distributed to schemes yesterday by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) show that government officials favour a target based on the growth or decline in tonnage of WEEE collected during the previous 12 months for each category of EEE.

Overall, that will mean that schemes will be obligated to collect 490,000 tonnes of WEEE in 2014, a 3% increase on the amount of WEEE collected throughout the previous year (474,711 tonnes) (see letsrecycle.com story).

The Department is proposing to pursue targets based on the amount of WEEE collected during the previous year (Option 2) as this is the method which is most likely to correspond with the changing tonnages of WEEE being captured in the system.

The target stipulates the amount of evidence that schemes will be required to collect for each category of WEEE generated.

Schemes collecting on behalf of producers of display equipment will be obligated to collect less material than during previous years, as fewer heavy television sets are now appearing in the waste stream, while the target for large household appliances is to increase.

BIS had looked at four proposal options, which included:

• Option one: Targets based on the average tonnes of WEEE collected for each category over the past three years.
• Options two: Targets based on last years growth in tonnes of WEEE collected or each category.
• Option three: Targets based on the average growth in tonnes of WEEE collected for each category over the past six years.
• Option four: Targets based on the average growth in tonnes of WEEE collected for each category over the past three years.

Proposed 2014 WEEE collection targets:

In documents accompanying the proposals, BIS stated: Basing targets on last years growth in collection volumes considers only the most current data available on WEEE collection rates and therefore is more likely to reflect the current technology, government policy, economic climate etc that is available in any one year to be collected by PCSs.

Although historic data is available this has not been incorporated into the analysis historic EEE data is available this has not been incorporated into the analysis without data on the product lifecycles for each of the categories of EEE, it is difficult to establish how patterns in EEE are reflected in the volume of WEEE collected.

The newly introduced WEEE Regulations require the government to stipulate how much WEEE producer compliance schemes are required to be collected on behalf of their members. Stakeholders have been given until March 11 to comment on the proposals.