Local authorities to receive £10m to implement WEEE

The Minister laid the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations before MPs on Tuesday and also announced that Valpak’s Retail WEEE Services has been appointed as operator of the distributor take back scheme, funded by £10m from retailers.

The scheme will establish a network of designated collection facilities where consumers can get rid of their electrical waste.

The money will primarily be paid to local authorities to assist in the improvement of civic amenity sites so that electrical waste can be separately collected there.

Under the EU’s WEEE directive producers of electrical goods will, from July 2007, be required to meet the environmental costs of dealing with waste products from their goods.

“Electrical waste such as toasters, fridges and washing machines are a growing environmental problem here in the UK with over 2m tonnes being dumped in landfill last year alone,” said Mr Wicks.

“There is currently no incentive for those that produce them to care about the life cycle of their products. These regulations will mean they can no longer shirk this responsibility.

“When I announced the clear implementation timetable in the summer it was to give business as much time as possible to prepare. Some responsible producers are already factoring the cost of recycling their product into the design process and recognise that caring about what happens to the goods they sell needn’t cost the earth.”

All companies which import, manufacture and rebrand electrical and electronic equipment will have to finance its treatment, recovery and environmentally safe disposal.

By 15 March 2007 producers will need to join an approved producer compliance scheme to ensure that they are able to comply with the Directive from 1 July 2007.

The regulations will: