Household WEEE collection rate jumps to 36.6% in 2009

Date: 11/3/2010

Household WEEE collection rate jumps to 36.6% in 2009

The UK increased both the tonnage and percentage of household WEEE that was collected for recycling, recovery or reuse in 2009, but remains significantly behind the 65% collection goal that the European Commission has proposed be introduced from 2016, figures published by the Environment Agency have revealed.

Many industry figures believe that more needs to be done to collect small WEEE
The data, released last week, shows that 446,301.27 tonnes of household waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was collected, mainly from council civic amenity sites, in 2009, compared to 414,238.534 tonnes in 2008.

This came despite 133,235.48 tonnes, or 9.86%, less electrical equipment being put on the market in 2009 than was the case in 2008.

In weight terms - the way the UK's performance is currently measured by the European Union - that means 7.31 kilograms of WEEE was collected per head of population, building on 2008's 6.79 kilograms and comfortably exceeding the EU target.

And, in terms of a percentage of electrical equipment placed on the market, 36.66% of household WEEE was collected - compared to 30.66% in 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story).

WEEE Directive
However, WEEE industry figures have stressed that more needs to be done if the UK is to increase its rate further towards in preparation for the higher targets that the recast of the EU WEEE Directive is currently expected to result in (see letsrecycle.com story).

Duncan Simpson, director of marketing at the Valpak compliance scheme, told letsrecycle.com that the increase in recycling rate and tonnage was "great news for the system" and praised the attempts stakeholders had made to increase rates.

But, he added that "I think if we could do more to encourage the collection of small WEEE", echoing sentiments previously expressed by other key players in the system that more needs to be done to tackle the collection of items such as toasters and vacuums (see letsrecycle.com story).

Small WEEE
The new figures revealed that some progress has been made in increasing collection rates of category 2 WEEE, small household appliances, but it remains less than half the overall household WEEE collection rate.

In 2008, 143,221.1 tonnes of small household EEE was put onto the market, but only 17,038.84 tonnes, or 11.89%, was separately collected, a figure which increased last year to 20,537.52 tonnes, or 14.32%, of the 143,4040.17 tonnes that was put on the market.

The increase in the amount of WEEE collected was also welcomed by Peter Hunt, chief executive of Wastecare, but he too stressed that the UK had "someway to go" to get to 60% or 70% collection rates.

Mr Hunt suggested that much of the increase between 2008 and 2009 was down to there being "more visibility" rather than more WEEE actually being recycled, as it passed through approved authorised treatment facilities rather than other avenues such as scrap yards.

And, he added: "The big question is how much of that missing 65% is not coming onto the market at all because it's in people's bedrooms, it's going to landfill - which it shouldn't be, and it's being recovered and recycled, but not by AATFs."

B2B
In terms of non-household, or business-to-business (B2B), WEEE, the figures show little improvement in the percentage of equipment is currently being collected for recycling, recovery or reuse, as compliance schemes, councils and awareness campaigns focus on the household stream.

Just 4.89%, or 15,590.78 tonnes, of the 318,720.60 tonnes of the B2B EEE put on the market in 2009 was collected for recycling - a slight increase from the 4.05% rate achieved in 2008.

While the figures published last week do not provide compliance schemes with their final obligations for the 2009 compliance period, which are instead set to be published on May 1, the figures do not reveal any major disparity between the overall amount of WEEE collected from households and that dealt with by approved treatment facilities or exporters.

IPR
Last week (March 1) also saw the launch by the government's WEEE Advisory Body (WAB) call for evidence from stakeholders interested in feeding into a report on individual producer responsibility (IPR).

Related links
Environment Agency - WEEE figures

WEEE Advisory Body
The report, which will, once complete, be presented to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Minister responsible for WEEE, is expected to include industry opinions on IPR, an assessment of the benefits and consequences of introducing it in the UK and, a recommendation as to if, and if so, how, it could be "practically and realistically" introduced.

Parties looking to contribute to the process are advised to contact Peter Calliafas at petercalliafas@btinternet.com setting out a) the name of their organisation, b) which of the three stakeholder groups (IPR experts, producers, other groups) they represent and c) theircontact details, by April 1 2010.