August 13, 2005, is the date laid down by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive for producer responsibility to begin for waste electronics, but the UK looks certain to miss this date after delays in bringing into force new regulations.
” We had a timeline from the start with regards to lobbying and infrastructure and we have so far followed that timeline, we can not afford not to “
– Philip Morton, Repic
Nevertheless, the chief executive at the compliance scheme REPIC, Dr Philip Morton, has told letsrecycle.com that it is prepared to begin on August 13.
He said: “We had a timeline from the start with regards to lobbying and infrastructure, and we have so far followed that timeline, we can not afford not to.”
According to Dr Morton, REPIC collects specific data from the companies that sign up, and this allows it to analyse how much of the market will need to be accounted for. Mr Morton said that REPIC's members make up about 85% of the business to consumer WEEE market.
Dr Morton believes that REPIC is already well on its way to being able to offer collection services for WEEE, but may need to use reprocessing capacity abroad.
He said: “We are in discussions with waste management companies and recyclers both here and abroad. In some cases we just need to finalise a contract with the company. This will be done as soon as we know exactly what we have to do.”
“We have looked outside of the UK for the recycling capacity, there may not be the capacity in this country but through our sister schemes in other countries we have been able to locate the infrastructure abroad.
Small companies
REPIC has a large number of major producers as members, and is known for its dominance of the white goods area within WEEE compliance. But, it is also aiming to sign up smaller companies as members through its selling point as a scheme “run by producers for producers”.
As with others in the WEEE sector, its chief executive welcomed the delay in the new regulations so long as it improved the regulations themselves.
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Dr Morton added: “We will be ready regardless of a delay, but we would support a delay, as long as it gives a better, lower, fairer and lower cost implementation. We aim to achieve the maximum compliance for our members at the lowest achievable cost consistent with excellent environmental performance.”
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