WEEE Recast becomes EU law

The UK will face tougher collection targets for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) following the European Unions formal adoption of the WEEE Recast yesterday (July 24).

The publication of the Recast of the WEEE Directive in the Official Journal of the European Union means Member States have 18 months to update their WEEE legislation. This gives the UK until January 2014 to update the existing WEEE Regulations.

At present, all member states have a target to collect 4kg of WEEE per person per year which has been comfortably met in the UK, with around 34.4% of the electrical equipment placed on the market in this country collected for recycling in 2011.

However, this performance will need to improve to meet the new targets under the directive, which requires 45 tonnes of WEEE to be collected for every 100 tonnes put onto the market in the three preceding years equivalent to 45% – by 2016. These targets will then rise further in 2019 to a rate of 65 tonnes from every 100 put onto the market (equivalent to 65%).

The new laws will also see retailers of electrical items whose shop space covers at least 400m2 required to provide facilities for customers to return small WEEE (no more than 25cm) free of charge or show that an alternative system is equally as effective.

Tougher restrictions on the illegal export of WEEE, to prevent waste electricals from being processed in countries where conditions are hazardous to workers and the environment will also come into place. The measures will see exporters made responsible for proving that goods are being shipped abroad for repair or reuse.

Red Tape Challenge

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) welcomed the formal adoption of the recast and said that the implementation of the legislation in the UK would provide the department with an opportunity to streamline the WEEE Regulations in line with its ongoing Red Tape Challenge.

A BIS spokesman said: “We welcome the publication of the Recast WEEE Directive. In doing so, government remains committed to considering the proposed improvements to the UK WEEE system outlined by the Red Tape Challenge. These proposals are designed to reduce costs for businesses and ensure that the UK can meet the new WEEE collection and recycling targets.

The publication of the Recast had been delayed due to problems translating the legislation into the languages used by all of the EUs 27 Member States, and countries including Germany requesting amendments or adjustments to some of the wording of the legislation (see letsrecycle.com story), although these issues appear to have been resolved.

On Friday (July 20) the department unveiled a series of interim measures to bring down the cost of WEEE evidence and increase transparency in the sector until the transposition of the Recast (see letsrecycle.com story), and will consult on legislative changes to the WEEE system in 2013.