Encouraging the public sector to procure new electronics with a high recycled content will be more effective at increasing WEEE recycling rates than introducing more legislation, according to plastics reprocessor Axion Polymers.
The Salford-based company's director Keith Freegard claimed that, by getting government procurement bodies to buy electrical equipment such as printers and computers that is highly rated for sustainability, there will be an incentive for producers to include more recycled content from recovered WEEE in their products.
It's a pulling-through approach to increasing recycling volumes that will optimise re-use and preservation of our valuable resources
Keith Freegard, Axion Polymers
Speaking at the 10th International Electronics Recycling Congress, held in Austria last month, Mr Freegard claimed the approach, which is already used in the USA, would be more effective in encouraging WEEE recycling than “difficult to enforce” legislation.
He said: “A ‘carrot rather than stick' approach is what's needed if we are to create the positive drivers that make products containing recycling content much more sustainable and attractive to potential purchasers.
“It's a pulling-through approach to increasing recycling volumes that will optimise re-use and preservation of our valuable resources.”
EPEAT
Mr Freegard explained that in the USA a large number of electronics manufacturers had already signed up to a measuring system known as the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).
The tool uses measures such as levels and sources of recycled plastic content to determine a product's sustainability credentials, with public sector procurement bodies then being encouraged to purchase the highest-rated products.
Axion, which reprocesses plastics recovered from wastes such as WEEE into new polymers, claims the approach means manufacturers focus on products that will achieve a high, or ‘Gold', rating, because they are most likely to be purchased.
“It's an example of a ‘carrot-type' approach to encouraging more WEEE recycling, rather than what we tend to do in Europe – which is too much legislation that is often difficult to enforce,” Mr Freegard said.
He noted that, given the current relatively low levels of small WEEE recycling, using positive “purchase-based” ways to encourage markets rather than just setting statutory targets could be a solution.
And, looking at system's potential application in the UK, he said: “Axion would strongly encourage the UK Government to create and support a similar positive procurement policy for ALL government departments and right across the public sector.
“For example, imagine how much is spent on buying electronic equipment in the NHS, the MoD and local authorities and how this could impact recycling volumes.”
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