BIS's aims for the revisions, which were published in draft form for consultation in December 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story), focus on simplifying the evidence process and improving both how data is reported and how compliance schemes are approved.
The draft regulations also outlined moves to end the 'spot' trading of evidence that characterised the early stages of the UK system, and to instead encourage “planned and agreed” arrangements between schemes.
The regulations look set to firm up statements made by the government in the wake of the July 2009 REPIC judicial review ruling which made it clear that trading should only take place “at the margins” of the system, and said that schemes relying on over- or under-collection would not be approved (see letsrecycle.com story).
Code of Practice
The revised regulations are set to be accompanied by a revised Code of Practice, which BIS has said “defines the respective roles and responsibilities concerning the collection of WEEE from local authority Designated Collection Facilities”.
The original code of practice, which was issued in February 2007, details just how councils running collection facilities, or DCFs – generally CA sites – and the compliance schemes collecting WEEE from them should work together.
BIS has said the draft Code will be published on its site for comment before the final text is published.
Distributor Takeback
The Department has also revealed that the Distributor Takeback Scheme, which allows retailers to meet their obligations under the WEEE regulations, is set to continue for a further three years after the current scheme ends in December 2009.
Compliance scheme Valpak, who have run the scheme since its inception, are understood to have been chosen as preferred scheme operator by the British Retail Consortium.
Key factors of phase two of the scheme are set to include:
• A fund of up to £2.5 million to be offered to local authorities to contribute towards the maintenance costs of DCFs and projects which aim to increase WEEE collection rates;
• Additional funding to support new investment such as establishing a DCF at a new or replacement civic amenity site – with between £6,000 and £9,000 available per site – or to add new WEEE streams at existing CA sites – with £1,200 per site available;
• Distributors paying a membership fee proportionate to their share of the electrical goods market;
• Distributors committing to work with BIS and stakeholders to “adopt more consistent, consumer friendly approaches to information provision”.
Awareness
It is also understood that BIS has plans to increase its work with WRAP aiming to boost consumer awareness of WEEE recycling.
The department has already said that it plans to make the promotional materials used in trial awareness campaigns earlier this year – which related to small WEEE in particular – available to local authorities nationwide (see letsrecycle.com story).
And, it is planning to launch a further national awareness campaign in December 2009 and January 2010 – a year after the department launched its first nationwide awareness campaign in association with WRAP (see letsrecycle.com story).
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