Hampshire to launch WEEE export inquiry

The council said that it would investigate claims that irreparably broken waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was being classed as fit for reuse and sent on to Nigeria.

The claims were made following an undercover operation jointly-led by Sky News, The Independent and Greenpeace which was based on a tracking device being fixed to an irreparable TV taken to Hampshire county council's Basingstoke household waste and recycling centre.

The investigation claimed that the TV was sold on by the contractor that manages the HWRC, Southampton-based Hopkins Recycling, to London-based BJ Electronics, who were then believed to have exported it to Nigeria.

Greenpeace said that the TV was incorrectly classed as fit for reuse, and should instead have been classed as waste, and, due to the fact that it contained hazardous components, it was illegal to export it to a non-OECD country such as Nigeria.

Disappointed

Both Hopkins Recycling and BJ Electronics were unable for comment this morning (February 18), but, in a statement, Hampshire county council said: “We are extremely disappointed to learn of the potential findings of the investigation by Sky News.

“Our primary aim has always been to ensure that waste electrical items are reused wherever possible, and that only functional TV's and monitors are sent abroad. We do not condone the exportation of televisions that cannot be reused,” it added.

Commenting on the role played by its contractors and sub-contractors, the council said: “The contractor operating our household waste recycling centres uses approved sub-contractors who collect televisions from a range of recycling centres and those that are assessed as functional are exported to Africa for reuse.”

Hampshire's HWRC's have, in the past, been cited as examples of best practice and the county council has seen both the amount of waste left at the centres, and the amount recycled, increase in recent years.

Evidence

The council explained that it had been working with both BERR and the Environment Agency to ensure the companies it worked with met all the standards required, and said that it would use any evidence it was given by Sky to investigate the matter.

“We have already expressed our thanks to Sky News for bringing their investigation to our attention. If they provide a copy of their evidence and footage we will investigate the matter fully and without delay, and we will share the footage and evidence received with the regulatory authorities,” it said.

It added: “If, after our inquiry, it is found that our clear requirements are being compromised by inadequate controls as the reporter alleges, we will take immediate action and we will publish our findings.”

Last year, the Environment Agency claimed that as much as 75% of the WEEE sent overseas to the Far East and Africa was not suitable for reuse (see letsrecycle.com story).

Following its investigation, Greenpeace called on electrical goods manufacturers to take more of a role in recycling their products and to remove hazardous components from them.

“Companies can stop this illegal toxic trade now by ensuring their goods are free from hazardous components. It is critical they take full responsibility for the safe recycling of their products and put an end to the growing e-waste dumps that are poisoning people and the environment across the developing world,” the group's international toxics campaigner, Martin Hojsik, said.