News
Environmental Update (December 2009)
WEEE Amendments
Amendment Regulations have been published aimed at improving the
overall effectiveness of the UK's collection and treatment of
WEEE. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(Amendment) Regulations 2009, which are due to enter into force on
1st January 2010, will amend The Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006.
Following the launch of a consultation in December 2008,
regulations have now been introduced which are intended to
streamline the WEEE system. Changes will affect businesses that
produce electrical and electronic equipment, those
that distribute electrical and electronic
equipment or are involved in the treatment and
environmentally sound disposal of such equipment.
The changes are aimed at reducing the administrative burdens upon
distributors and producers operating within the WEEE system by
simplifying the data reporting requirements and the evidence system
when reporting on the collection and treatment of waste electronic
equipment.
The outcome will be an overall reduction of the data to be
submitted to the environment agencies. The following changes have
been made:
- Removal of the obligation on approved authorised treatment
facilities (AATFs) and exporters to produce evidence that WEEE has
been treated or recycled. Now, AATFs and approved
exporters can issue evidence notes on receipt of WEEE instead of
once it has been treated or exported. This will
impact on the provisions relating to requirements and conditions of
application for approval of authorised treatment facilities and
exporters of WEEE, who will be granted an application of approval
if they can show evidence of having received separately collected
WEEE prior to its treatment or export. This will help to
speed the flow of evidence through the system and ease cash flow
issues for authorised treatment facilities and authorised
exporters;
- Removal of recovery targets for the operators of producer
compliance schemes (PCS) and who are responsible for WEEE sent for
treatment.
- Record-keeping obligations on distributors returning WEEE from
private households to operators of a scheme no longer have to keep
records of waste returned to them from private households.
- Removal of the need for operators of producer compliance
schemes to apply for approval every 3 year compliance period.
Approval will now continue in force unless it is withdrawn by the
appropriate authority. However, operators will be required to
submit 'rolling' three year operational plans annually and ensure
that all treatment facilities are able to meet the minimum
standards of recycling and recovery required by the Directive.
If you need to comply with WEEE legislation and need
help, then why not contact the Mentor 24/7 Environmental Advice
Line.