WEEE reuse standard could generate thousands of new jobs

Up to 10,000 jobs could be created in the reuse sector for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) once organisations start adopting the new PAS 141 standard, the man behind developing the specification claimed today (24 May).


Speaking on the first day of the Sustainabilitylive! event at Birmingham, RDC’s head of sustainability, Gary Griffiths, said that the PAS 141 specification published in March was the first European standard for the reuse of WEEE.

“In the recent recast of the WEEE Directive there is a target being set of up to 5% for reuse … up to 10,000 new jobs could be generated in the reuse WEEE sector as a result,” he told delegates.

The new specification could also help to reduce illegal exports of WEEE, he added, as it would “provide a tool for enforcement agencies to use to ensure exports are done responsibly and ethically”.

Griffiths said that the Waste Resources & Action Programme (WRAP) was currently developing product-specific protocols for WEEE and that PAS 141 would have a “reuse label” which would effectively act as a quality mark.

He also revealed that certification guidelines were due out in August, enabling reuse organisations to be certified by industry-accredited certification bodies.

Maxine Perella

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