LAWR

WASTE REGULATIONS Clearer system sparks higher collection rates Repic's Philip Morton reflects on a decent first year under the new WEEE regulations. Collections are up 4% and £18m has been saved. he results are in. After a final revision of the data, the Environment Agency has now confirmed that the UK exceeded its 2014 goal for the collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Some 494,254 tonnes were collected, which is over 4,250 tonnes more than the target and 4% more than in 2013. Changes to the regulations have certainly helped. Under its Red Tape challenge, the government took the opportunity to thoroughly review the 2006 regulations as it looked to transpose the EU's recast WEEE Directive 20 Local Authority Waste & Recycling June 2015 T last year. An overhaul was definitely needed. The earlier regulations made it impossible to obtain a proper audit trail for electrical waste, with the origin and treatment neither clear nor auditable for the stakeholders involved. This unfortunately created a distorted marketplace where WEEE evidence notes were excessively traded – often at prices that were not reflective of the true costs that producers should pay. The new regulations, which came in to force in January 2014, were designed to make the market more transparent and auditable to benefit everyone in the system. There is now a defined advance target in place, as well as a safety valve in the form of a compliance fee. There is also more protection for local authorities, distributors and other collectors of WEEE from treatment costs. Collectors of WEEE can choose to 'self-treat' – as long as it is properly treated and reported. For councils with designated collection facilities that don't want to self- treat, or where it's not financial viable to do so, WEEE can be collected free of charge by any producer compliance scheme. This means collectors can make money, but need never face a cost for treatment and all WEEE made available will be dealt with regardless of the targets set. The First year has gone pretty well. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills says the new rules have resulted in an £18m saving. However, there is work still to be done. A recent meeting in Westminster suggested that the administrative burden on treatment facilities could be simplified and discussions are already underway on that front. Going forward, local authorities and their site operators will continue to play a vital role in recycling this waste stream. With increased environmental concerns, it is more important than ever that we retain the support of local authorities, to ensure that WEEE is properly recovered, reused, and recycled. It's therefore imperative that all the stakeholders work together to make the new regulations work, both environmentally and economically. Philip Morton is CEO at Repic, the producer compliance scheme. Macrete waste recycling 1/4 page-paths.indd 1 18/12/2014 10:04

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