The PBS – Producer Compliance Scheme Balancing System – is a mechanism set up by compliance schemes to deal collaboratively with requests from councils for collection of WEEE. It is used if councils have been unable to agree with a compliance scheme to collect the material.
Until now the system has been a voluntary arrangement between schemes, which some have opted not to take part in, but legal changes brought in this year make the PBS mandatory. Under the changes to the law, Defra is required to set a new PBS system every three years.
Yesterday (22 July) Defra wrote to schemes to inform them that a proposed methodology put forward by the WEEE Schemes Forum (WSF) is to be used to administer the PBS in its first three years as a mandatory system. It comes into effect immediately.
A rival proposal had been submitted by WEEE Allocation Scheme Ltd. A consultation on both of the options was launched in March, to inform Defra’s decision around which would be taken forward.
WEEE Schemes Forum
WEEE Schemes Forum’s proposal will largely replicate the voluntary PBS format that has previously been overseen by the consultancy firm Anthesis. Anthesis will continue to oversee the running of the PBS as a mandatory system.
“The PBS operates to ensure that the costs of collecting WEEE when requested by local authorities under regulation 34, are shared amongst all PCSs with a household obligation.”
Under the WSF PBS model a compliance scheme receiving a Regulation 34 request from a local authority can choose to either fulfil the request or submit it to the PBS to be handled collectively. Other members of the PBS can bid for the work – or the cost of collection is shared across all members.
In a statement, WSF said: “The WEEE Scheme Forum is delighted that Defra has approved and appointed WEEE Schemes Forum (WSF) Ltd.’s PCS Balancing System (PBS) under Regulation 34A of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulation 2013 as amended. The WSF voluntary PBS was set up in 2016. It has successfully handled over 90 regulation 34 WEEE stream requests, and most PCSs are already members of the WSF PBS.
“Anthesis will continue to act as the independent administrator of the new mandatory PBS. They will shortly be in contact with all PCSs approved for household WEEE, with details of the new system. PCSs must join within 30 days from the date of appointment of the PBS by Defra.“
Some local authorities that are serviced under the existing PBS can be assured of continuity of collections, WSF added, although there may be some changes of contractors, once the new system is implemented.
“The PBS operates to ensure that the costs of collecting WEEE when requested by local authorities under regulation 34, are shared amongst all PCSs with a household obligation,” it said.
WAS
Martin Fortune, director of the unsuccessful bidder, WAS Ltd, expressed disappointment at the decision, but welcomed the opportunity to submit a proposal as part of the bidding process.
He said: ”The WEEE Allocation Scheme team are disappointed to have lost the PBS tender and missed an opportunity to introduce more transparency and independence to the WEEE system. However, they are proud to have played their part in the development of a mandatory PBS.”
He added: “If we hadn’t challenged the establishment and shone a light in some of the darker corners of the WEEE system, then we would have failed. Instead we have driven innovative thoughts, introduced a competitive tendering process for PBS whilst developing proposals that would help create transparency in the WEEE system whilst fully complying with competition law.
“We always knew we had little chance of winning so our participation was about thoughts and ideas, to introduce more transparency and have independent representation for all the PCSs rather than a disproportionate influence of the few.”
WEEE Conference
25 September, Lord’s Cricket Ground
Hear from expert speakers discussing the present and future of the UK’s WEEE sector.
Subscribe for free