U.K. Delays WEEE Regulations
by Richard Wilson, Electronics Weekly
16 December 2005 – The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE), which requires producers to pay for treatment and recycling or recovery of all WEEE products, is to be delayed in the U.K.
The government said more time is needed to implement the European rules on waste recycling, which will affect industry and consumers alike. Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks has announced a major review of the legislation that will require retailers to offer take-back services to householders and will be providing a network of collection facilities where consumers can take back their WEEE for it to be collected separately from other municipal waste.
“We have listened to the concerns expressed by both the business community and other stakeholders over the implementation process and have decided that more time is needed to get the implementation right,” said Wicks.
“Although any further delay is regrettable, this will ultimately deliver far greater environmental benefits,” added Wicks.
According to Phil Morton, chief executive of Repic, a not-for-profit recycling body set up by 53 of the U.K.’s leading electrical goods manufacturers: “Some serious issues such as allocation of responsibility for WEEE waste and proper access to civic amenity and other designated collection facilities remain unresolved.”
No new date has been set for implementation, but it seems likely that the review and industry consultation period being proposed by the government will push any implementation passed the current June 2006 deadline date.
The reason for the review seems to be concerns over the scale of the cost burden which will be placed on local authorities, which are required to dispose of separately collected WEEE.
The DTI has already said that it will meet any costs to local authorities of arranging the treatments required for any televisions and PC monitors containing cathode ray tubes and fluorescent lamps, which they collect separately and send to a hazardous waste landfill, in advance of the WEEE regulations. But the review will address this area of responsibility.
“We have already agreed with Local Authorities that payment for costs incurred in 2005/06 will be included in the annual settlement figure for 2006/07. We will continue to work with local authorities to establish the costs associated with the decision to undertake this review,” said the DTI.
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