Third phase of distributor take-back scheme opens

The Scheme was set up under the WEEE regulations in 2007 to enable electronics retailers to meet their requirement to fund the collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), as an alternative to offering in store take back of goods.

Producer compliance scheme Valpak has been reappointed to manage the DTS by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Retailers hoping to register for the Phase III are required to complete registration by February 21.

Members of the scheme are charged a fee proportionate to the amount of electrical equipment they place on the market, with money from the fund being provided to councils for the development and maintenance of WEEE collection facilities at civic amenity sites.

Projects

During the schemes second phase, which ran between 2010 and 2012, the WEEE Local Project Fund was established, for which around 650,000 was provided by the DTS. The Fund gives councils the opportunity to apply for finance for initiatives aimed at increasing the recycling and reuse of household WEEE.

Projects which have so far received support through the Local Project Fund include kerbside collections of small WEEE by Woking borough council (see letsrecycle.com story) and a mobile WEEE bank, trialled by West Sussex county council (see letsrecycle.com).

The third phase of the scheme, which runs until December 2016, will see the DTS continue to provide for a Project Fund, details of which are set to be released later in the year. Phase III had been due to start from the beginning of January 2013, but the later than expected finalisation of the WEEE Recast by the European Parliament meant that it was slightly delayed.

Support

Steve Gough, chief executive of Valpak, said: We are delighted that Valpak has been asked to continue to operate the scheme on behalf of retailers and the government. It provides an important core task within the UK WEEE system and will allow us to continue to support an effective national collection network which has been established during Phases I and II.

At the end of the second phase, the DTS had a total of 1861 members, and had provided around 12 million in support for councils running WEEE collection facilities.

Commenting on the DTS, business minister Michael Fallon, said: Providing a choice of options which reflect the needs of individual retailers is a common sense approach to compliance with European legislation. It is good for British business and the competitiveness of the UK economy.

Proposed changes to the WEEE system are set to be discussed at a one-day conference in London on May 1 2013 hosted byletsrecycle.com, entitledReshaping the WEEE Regulations. To find out more,click here.