Peter Hunt, managing director of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) producer compliance scheme WeeeCare, has produced a guide to the potential regulatory changes titled WEEE2: The WEEE system re-written in order to frame the discussion. The document can be found by entering your details here.
The guideoutlines several of the proposals being looked at by the government to overhaul the current compliance system.
Producers of electronic equipment have argued that the system is in need of reform, claiming that it does not represent the actual cost of recycling (see letsrecycle.com story), while additional changes are also being brought in to incorporate the terms of the Recast of the WEEE Directive, which was passed in Europe in 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story).
While aformal consultation is expected on the proposals in the Spring, the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) has already revealed three of the options that are set to be included (see letsrecycle.com story). These are:
- A single national producer compliance scheme;
- A central collection facility allocation system;
- Mandatory targets for each compliance scheme.
In his guide, Mr Hunt sets out what he sees as the benefits and drawbacks of each option, and some of the other anticipated outcomes from the consultation.
WEEE Conference
Proposed changes to the UK’s WEEE system are set to be discussed at a one-day conference in London on May 1 2013 hosted by letsrecycle.com, entitled Reshaping the WEEE Regulations. To find out more, click here.
He commented: “Since they came into force in 2006, the WEEE regulations have been heavily criticised for burdening electrical manufacturers and importers with heavy additional costs for covering the cost of recycling, despite a strong rise in the value of recovered metals. Although the UK was already meeting European targets for recycling at the outset, the reported recovery weights have recently begun to fall.
“The aim of redrafting the regulations is to lighten the burden on producers, simplify the bureaucracy and promote recycling best practice.
Most people would agree the current system is too cumbersome, too complicated and too expensive for producers. It needs to change, we just need to make sure we dont make a bigger mess with WEEE2.
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