Environment Minister Arlene Foster said: “Hair dryers, kettles, washing machines and other waste electrical products are a growing waste stream in Northern Ireland, and more than 25,000 tonnes were dumped at civic amenity sites last year.”
The Minister said that under WEEE Regulations electrical waste will be separated at civic amenity sites and sent for recycling. Electrical producers will pick up the costs for this.
She added: “Officials in my Department have worked closely with Councils and business on WEEE policy for a number of years. Together we have ensured solutions that take account of local needs. We have achieved a network of collection points for WEEE in Northern Ireland and we secured a unique financial package to help upgrade civic amenity sites to collect WEEE items separately.”
Following extensive consultation, the WEEE Regulations were made in December 2006, transposing the EC WEEE Directive into our legislation. Businesses have had a 6 month lead-in to prepare for implementation which requires all companies that manufacture, import and re-brand electrical and electronic equipment to finance the treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
Businesses that sell electrical products to the public have to be prepared to take back WEEE in-store or provide an equivalent alternative for customers. In Northern Ireland that alternative is a UK Distributor Take-back Scheme. The Scheme is operated by Valpak Retail WEEE Services. It is funded by a £10m pot from UK retailers. The Scheme has to establish a network of Designated Collection Facilities across the UK where customers can deposit electrical waste. Most of the money will be paid to District Councils to help with the improvement of civic amenity sites where electrical waste can be collected separately.
The WEEE Regulations will mean that the amount we recycle will increase. Items like waste toasters and kettles that would normally have been sent to landfill will achieve a 50% recycling rate when disposed of at Designated Collection Facilities.
All 26 Councils have at least one site Designated Collection Facility that will collect WEEE and is entitled to £9000 from the Valpak fund.
Notes to Editors:
- There were 3 sets of WEEE Regulations made in December 2006 to transpose the WEEE Directive in Northern Ireland. The first set deals with the producer responsibility aspects of the Directive and are UK-wide. The other 2 sets transpose treatment and fees requirements.
- The WEEE Regulations introduce producer responsibility for waste electrical and electronic equipment. Producers will have to finance treatment and recovery/recycling of separately collected WEEE to specified treatment standards and recovery/recycling targets.
- Under the legislation the public can dispose of WEEE at Designated Collection Facilities for recycling free of charge.
- Because of the new legislation the public will start to see signage at shops and civic amenity sites advertising the free take-back service.
- The WEEE Regulations oblige electrical producers to join a WEEE compliance scheme to meet their treatment and recycling obligations.
- Retailers have to either join the national Distributor Take-back Scheme responsible for the network of Designated Collection Facilities, or offer customers in-store take-back under these Regulations.
- Operators of Designated Collection Facilities can make arrangements with a producer compliance scheme to uplift WEEE for recycling free of charge.
- Retailers can continue to collect old electrical equipment at the same time as new equipment is delivered.
- The full Regulations and guidance is on the DOENI website.
- The Directive does not place any obligations on householders, and they will be not be prohibited from throwing WEEE away with general domestic rubbish. It will however encourage more WEEE to be reused or recycled by ensuring that there is a network of facilities in place where householders can return their used equipment free of charge.
- Valpak Retail WEEE services were appointed to operate the UK Distributor Take-back Scheme for WEEE in December. Valpak has been providing compliance and recycling solutions for the past 10 years. More information on Valpak.
- The Environment and Heritage Service is responsible for regulating and enforcing the WEEE Regulations with respect to producers and treatment operators.
- The Vehicle Certification Agency is responsible for monitoring and enforcement of distributor, including retailer, obligations.
