WEEE 2014 plans confirmed

The government has further clarified its plans to implement the recast EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive (2012/19/EU) and changes to the UK WEEE system through revised regulations from 1 January 2014

In its response to the consultation on implementing the recast Directive and proposals to alter the UK WEEE system, the business department confirmed that a new category for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels would be created in the revised WEEE Regulations, even though most PV panels are unlikely to enter the waste cycle for several years.

The department also said that, although the draft regulations placed LED lamp sources in category five, from January they would be included in category 13 to avoid that classification becoming an unwanted waste stream.

The government also plans to introduce a target and compliance fee system in 2014. Under this arrangement, all producers placing at least 5 tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) on the market each year must join a producer compliance scheme (PCS).

Each PCS will be given a tonnage target of WEEE to collect, broken down into the categories detailed in the Regulations. These targets will be set annually by the government in line with the national WEEE collection target. If a PCS collects too little, it will have to pay a compliance fee per tonne or face sanctions for non-compliance. Alternatively, they can purchase WEEE from another PCS that has collected too much waste.

Meanwhile, the Environment Agency has clarified the revised system for small producers of EEE. A company placing less than 5 tonnes of electrical goods on the market in the year before a compliance period – for example, between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013 – no longer has to join a PCS. Small producers now have the option to register with a regulator for an annual fee of £30 and file paperwork proving how much EEE they produce directly.

The first deadline for direct registration is 31 January 2014.