WEEE proposals jeopardise existing take-back, Dixon warns

In its last consultation on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive that closed earlier this month, the government proposed that electrical retailers fulfil their take-back obligation by contributing to an annual 10 million fund. This money would then be used to support WEEE collection schemes, including local authority civic amenity sites.

The British Retail Consortium said that a fixed-figure fund was inappropriate as a network of WEEE collection points should be set up on a competitive basis (see letsrecycle.com story).

”Our experience is that a one-size-fits-all approach will simply not work and could threaten the viability of our current programme“
– David Longbottom, Dixons Group board director

Now one of Europe's largest electrical goods retailers Dixons Group has said the ideaof collection schemes supported by a national fund could prove inflexible and force it to shut down its existing take-back operations.

David Longbottom, Dixons Group board director with responsibility for the environment, said: “We have repeatedly expressed our concern to the DTI that the legislation must be flexible and workable.

“We already run efficient take-back services for many products and the economics and logistics of these schemes are well thought through. Our experience is that a one-size-fits-all approach will simply not work and could threaten the viability of our current programme,” he added.

Dixons Group owns high street brands The Link and Dixons as well as out of town stores Currys and PC World and has found different approaches are needed for different locations on retailer take-back.

Community

The company offers take-back on delivery for large household appliances including fridges and washing machines. Since 1995, Dixons Group has had a refurbishment and recycling contract with community recycler CREATE, which trains the long-term unemployed to refurbish white goods for sale to the public.

The CREATE work could be “jeopardised” due to financial constraints if the company is forced to contribute to a retailers' fund, Hamish Thompson spokesman for Dixons Group told letsrecycle.com.

He said: “The clear message from us is that we are concerned that there should be significant flexibility within the regulations to enable some of the good work that is being done currently to continue.”