A number of uncertainties regarding the collection and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment have not yet been resolved, the government admitted last week.
The Department of Trade and Industry published draft regulations and guidance for the European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive on Friday.
Central to the UK government’s plans for WEEE is a “National Clearing House” (NCH), which has been proposed by electronics manufacturers to manage the producer responsibility requirements of the Directive.
Under the proposals, the NCH would act as an interface between manufacturers, recyclers, the government, retailers and local authorities collecting WEEE.
Discussions have yet to set out how the NCH should operate and now the government has told the electronics sector to determine the remaining issues by consulting other stakeholders.
In the latest consultation paper, the government said: “The establishment of an NCH poses a major timetable challenge. The government expects the producer community, which has pressed strongly for an NCH, now to take a leading role in taking this forward.”
Because the NCH would play such a central role in collecting and recycling domestic WEEE, other decisions have also been delayed.
The WEEE Directive requires electrical retailers to provide take-back of old goods to customers buying new ones, or an alternative service.
Proposals for this alternative include a retailer compliance scheme that would distribute funds from retailers to collection schemes, including local authorities.
But the government’s draft guidance said: “Negotiations are continuing between the government and the British Retail Consortium on a potential retailer/distributor compliance scheme.”
The government’s consultation on the draft regulations and guidance will end on October 29, 2004.
From Onyx Group