One-Stop WEEE Compliance Scheme offers tailored service

One of the most important dates relating to the WEEE Directive is fast approaching. By March 15th next year companies that sell or manufacture electrical and electronic equipment within the UK or import it for sale within the UK must register with a compliance scheme.

Thanks to its experience in the Republic of Ireland – where the WEEE Directive has already been implemented – and its involvement in the recent Packaging Regulations scheme, Buckinghamshire-based Greenstar is able to offer UK companies the services of its Recycle 1st compliance scheme – a one-stop shop for the new legislation and general recycling issues.

Greenstar's Recycle 1st initiative will discharge its members obligations once the regulation is fully implemented. According to Mike Scollick, Greenstar's Environmental Affairs Director: "A compliance scheme is essentially a 'club' that obligated businesses join in order for the scheme to combine their obligations and discharge their legal responsibilities more effectively than if they were to go it alone." Explaining Greenstar's role, he elaborates: "We will use our existing links from the numerous Local Authority contracts we already operate to collect domestic WEEE and meet the recycling obligations of our members. Greenstar is the market leading recycling led waste management company with extensive collection operations throughout the UK for all types of WEEE. We will be able to build onto the back of these operations and offer an all inclusive service to cover every aspect of compliance with the WEEE Regulations."

Recycle 1st, which is available to all manufacturers, retailers/resellers and importers, is tailored to suit individual needs and benefits from the company's experience not only in the Irish market, but also from its wide portfolio of existing recycling-lead waste management initiatives. It offers many facets that make it an extremely attractive proposal compared to other schemes. It will be “open to all” – there are no size, geographical or sector limitations and it will cater for every aspect of a company's obligations, from pick up collection/recycling obligations to take-back requirements

Recycle 1st is one of the largest compliance schemes under the Packaging Regulations, consequently Greenstar is well versed in the style of operation required. The company has been collecting WEEE for the last four years and, over time, has developed box and cage systems where it can pick up various amounts of WEEE from any location (the first such system in the UK). Greenstar has also used its experience from the Republic of Ireland – where it is the country's largest waste management operator – and will use this successful model for its activities in the UK.

Understanding that not all legislation is abundantly clear to all those affected Greenstar will also help companies gather data while managing all the paperwork and timings necessary for compliance with the Regulations. Finally, as an existing waste and recycling services operator, Greenstar has the ability to combine all of its customers’ needs for waste and recycling under one umbrella. It doesn’t simply offer a “blanket approach” to all – it can create bespoke packages for all customers, no matter what their recycling needs are.

About the WEEE regulations

The regulations aim to prevent or reduce WEEE from arising by setting targets for the collection, reuse and treatment of WEEE. In a similar way to the Packaging Regulations, the WEEE Regulations will require those responsible for placing electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) on to the market to meet their obligations based on the weight of EEE they have supplied in the previous year.

Producers will need to ensure that all the products they sell are marked with a “crossed out wheelie bin” symbol, producer name and creation date.  They will also be required to provide details regarding the safe disassembly and material types of their products to aid recycling.  Producers will be required to join a Producer Compliance Scheme and pay a charge dependent on the weight of EEE sold by the producer in the previous year.  Alternatively the producer can arrange for and fund environmentally sound disposal of WEEE equivalent to the weight sold in the previous year and provide this data to the Producer Compliance Scheme.

Distributors have a vital role in educating customers about the need to recycle WEEE as well as dealing with customers’ WEEE on a like for like basis when new EEE is purchased.  Distributors can opt to accept WEEE in store or alternatively advise their customers of a nearby Designated Collection Facility where the customer can dispose of the item free of charge.  If a distributor does not wish to collect WEEE from customers in store, it will need to pay the Distributor Take Back Scheme to do this instead.  The Distributor Take Back Scheme will accumulate funds from distributors and place this in a central pot which will then be allocated to Designated Collection Facilities (likely to be civic amenity sites) so that they can upgrade their sites to accommodate the different categories of WEEE.

Businesses and other non-household users of WEEE must arrange and fund environmentally sound disposal for WEEE that was purchased prior to the 13 August 2005.  However if a business is disposing of WEEE purchased before 13 August 2005 as they are replacing it with new like for like EEE, it will be the responsibility of the relevant Producer Compliance Scheme to pay for the disposal.  Equally, businesses disposing of WEEE purchased after 13 August 2005 will not need to pay as this will be the responsibility of the relevant Producer Compliance Scheme.

For more information, please visit our WEEE compliance section at http://www.greenstar.co.uk/weee.aspx