The Background to WEN
In 2007 The Government introduced The Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Regulations. Their aim is to measure the quantity of household WEEE that is reused or recovered and to increase the percentage of that WEEE that is either recovered or recycled. Europe has designated 10 categories of WEEE that need to be recovered. The UK has subdivided this into a total of 13 categories which need to be recovered and recycled at the following levels:
|
Categories |
Minimum Reuse/Recovery/Recycling Rate (%) |
|||
|
Reuse |
Recovery |
Recycling |
||
|
CAT 1 |
Large household appliances |
100 |
80 |
75 |
|
CAT 2 |
Small household appliances |
100 |
70 |
50 |
|
CAT 3 |
IT and telecommunications equipment |
100 |
75 |
65 |
|
CAT 4 |
Consumer equipment |
100 |
75 |
65 |
|
CAT 5 |
Lighting equipment |
100 |
70 |
50 |
|
CAT 6 |
Electrical and electric tools |
100 |
70 |
50 |
|
CAT 7 |
Toys, leisure and sports equipment |
100 |
70 |
50 |
|
CAT 8 |
Medical devices |
100 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
CAT 9 |
Monitoring and control instruments |
100 |
75 |
65 |
|
CAT 10 |
Automatic dispensers |
100 |
80 |
75 |
|
CAT 11 |
TVs and monitors |
100 |
75 |
65 |
|
CAT 12 |
Fridges and cooling equipment |
100 |
80 |
75 |
|
CAT 13 |
Gas discharge lamps |
100 |
80 |
80 |
Data on the quantity of Household electrical and Electronic Equipment placed on the market must be supplied by producers and importers on a quarterly basis to one of 27 Producer Compliance Schemes (PCSs) who must obtain evidence in proportion to their obligation which is calculated on the basis of their market share in each category of WEEE. Although PCSs may have an idea of what their obligations might be they do not have this finalised by the Agencies until 1 May. PCSs have from then to 31 May to achieve compliance.
Compliance is achieved by producers and importers through their PCSs acquiring evidence that recovery and recycling of WEEE (WENs) in each of the relevant categories has taken place. This evidence is initially acquired by PCSs working with Designated Collection Facilities (DCFs) from which they obtain household WEEE which is then delivered to Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATFs) or Approved Exporters (AEs) from whom they obtain evidence that recycling and/or recovery has taken place. It is extremely unlikely that PCSs will have the correct amount of evidence to exactly meet their obligation hence t2e will provide the marketplace, a central financial and administrative clearing mechanism, through which this will occur.
