The scheme, which dominates the packaging waste recovery compliance market, is now aiming for a 30% market share by weight of the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) compliance market.
” Within three to six months we aim to start trials looking into the take back of WEEE.“
– Mike Sadler, Valpak
Valpak is currently running a “pre-compliance” service for WEEE prior to new regulations coming into force, and has said it has signed up 70 members so far, including Miele, Brother and Hornby.
The pre-compliance service offers advice and information on WEEE, but the man at the helm has told letsrecycle.com he hopes the service will become an active service soon.
Mike Sadler, head of WEEE pre-compliance at Valpak, said: “We are currently in talks with a high profile producer to run trials. Within three to six months we aim to start trials looking into the take back of WEEE. We are also talking to logistics companies and treatment facilities. We have had very positive meetings and plans are in place.”
Valpak currently holds more than a 50% share of the total packaging compliance market, in which the compliance scheme handles the recycling and recovery responsibilities of packaging producers under the packaging regulations. Of its 3,000 members, Valpak believes about 500 will also have obligations to recover waste electronics under the WEEE Directive.
Ambitious
But Valpak's intentions are not to limit their pre-compliance service to existing packaging producer members. Mr Sadler said: “We are quite ambitious, we think that a 30% share of the market is something that we can achieve and want to achieve.”
As well as discussions with logistics firms and “high profile” producers concerning forthcoming service trials, Mr Sadler said Valpak is continuing to lobby government regarding new regulations – and also to attempt to gain funding for WEEE trials.
He explained: “Our pre-compliance scheme is run on a low budget, and these trials will cost us. Obviously because there will be costs involved and no legislation is in place yet to help cover it, we may be looking to the government for funding.”
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The UK produces about one million tonnes of waste electronics from households and commercial premises each year, which will be subject to recycling and recovery targets to be financed by producers under the WEEE Directive.
New regulations are expected soon, with the government still insisting producer responsibility will come into effect from August 2005.
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