The WEEE Initiative (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment)

[Chris P]

Here at JumbleTown, we believe that items should be "life-cycled" before they are recycled. Having said that, we recognise the importance of recycling when necessary. Below is a Dept of the Environment Press Release, which contains good news about the recycling of "white" goods such as fridges and computer monitors. The tonnage is enormous. But can anyone tell me how much of this really needed to be recycled? Could some of it have been put to further use? Recycling, after all, costs money. Life-cycling is considerably cheaper and more beneficial to the environment.
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Roche Announces National figures for WEEE collection


- Ireland Surpasses EU 2008 Targets -


Mr. Dick Roche TD Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government today (7 April, 06) announced that over 14,500 tonnes of Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment has been collected for recycling in less than 7 months under the new WEEE scheme, which has been successful beyond all expectations. In the period from 13 August 05 to end of February this year 14,587 tonnes were collected nationally. This is the equivalent to an annual collection rate of 6.7Kg per person. Our EU target is to reach 4KG per person by 2008. This is waste that the UN has described as the most polluting waste in the waste stream. Included in this 14,500 tonnes is over 11,000 tonnes of fridges and freezers and over 1,000 TVs.


"This is a stunning performance", said Minister Roche. "We are already running over 50% above our 2008 target". Ireland was one of the first European countries to introduce this major initiative, which was severely criticised by members of the Opposition when it was introduced last summer. Fine Gael claimed the scheme was 'botched' and left consumers and retailers confused. The Labour Party predicted it would impose a huge burden on business and indeed bankrupt small businesses- they added that we should 'go back to the drawing board'. Clearly, the prophets of doom in both parties were off the mark.''


The truth is that this Government by creating a fully integrated recycling regime has significantly enhanced our environment. As in earlier initiatives such as the ban on smoking in the workplace and the highly successful plastic bag levy the WEEE initiative has demonstrated that Ireland can lead the field. I am delighted that both the industry and consumers have so successfully met the WEEE Directive challenge and I want to compliment all those in the industry, the retail trade and the public who have worked so hard to make this initiative the wonderful success that it is.
ENDS

Dept of the Environment Press Release

[Chris P]

The WEEE Initiative (the recycling of Waste Electrical and Electonic Equipment) has been very successful in the Republic of Ireland, shifting the financial burden of recycling onto the producer of the goods. Not so in Northern Ireland and Britain, where the initiative has yet to be implemented. It is now something of a hot potato for the Dept of Trade and Industry (DTI) and in particular for the UK's Minister for Energy, Malcolm Wicks.

Below is a piece from http://www.letsrecycle.com/legislati...jsp?story=5694
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"Minister hits back at criticism over WEEE consultation (07.06.06)"

DTI minister Malcolm Wicks hit back last night at industry criticism of the way the government has handled implementation of the WEEE Directive.
Mr Wicks accused some companies of trying to "dodge" producer responsibility.

The minister's comments came on BBC Radio 4's nightly World Tonight news programme, which also featured an interview with Graham White, chief executive of the Hoover Candy group.

The programme came after industry association AMDEA wrote a scathing letter to the DTI concerning the Department's work transposing the WEEE

During his interview, Mr White said: "We have been trying to consult with government for a number of years and every time we do, they don't seem to understand."

The Hoover Candy chief executive insisted that industry "wholeheartedly does everything it can that protects the environment."

But, he warned that industry was not prepared to pick up all the costs of recycling old equipment perhaps placed on the market by companies that have since gone out of business. He said placing a visible fee on the sale of new equipment during a transitional period was a "good idea", and was being used in other European countries.

Mr White said that the industry was "all for the WEEE Directive as far as recycling of waste was concerned. Companies were now designing products that could be recycled."

He claimed that a visible fee would not hit the consumer as they already pay through charges levied by local authorities to take large items away. "I think you do pay already. My wife paid £20 to our council to have a fridge taken away," he said.

Responding to the claims, Mr Wicks said: "We have been listening a great deal – we've just finished a consultation period and I met with representatives myself only a few weeks ago. I don't understand this idea we haven't been consulting."

"We all know that a lot of electrical equipment isn't disposed of properly for recycling. Manufacturers must show a bit of responsibility."

Concerning the visible fee idea, Mr Wicks said the EU Directive was a producer responsibility measure, and that meant the responsibility for recycling had to be placed on the manufacturers.

He said: "A lot of producers are showing that sense of corporate responsibility and I think it is a little bid sad that some manufacturers are coming up with all sorts of arguments to frankly dodge the responsibility they should take on.

"The public mood is changing – we are all concerned about global warming and climate change, and we're all recycling now. Producers that show responsibility will win the hearts and minds of customers."

Mr Wicks also rebutted the suggestion by the Hoover chief executive that implementation of the Directive in the UK could drive production abroad. He pointed out that the WEEE Directive operates throughout the EU.

http://www.letsrecycle.com/legislati...jsp?story=5694

[Chris P]

Dept of the Environment Press Release, 18/7/06

"WEEE Recycling A Remarkable Success Story", Roche

• Half a Million household appliances have been taken out of the waste stream and recycled since 13 August 2005, including 85,000 fridge freezers, 78,000 TVs and almost 40,000 power tools;
• A Five fold increase in WEEE Recycling since scheme commenced last year;

Mr. Dick Roche T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government today (18th July '06) presented a progress report on performance of the WEEE recycling scheme since the scheme came into effect on 13 August 2005. The Minister described the results as 'shining' and a "clear indication of the public's willingness to grapple with the problem of waste."

"By the end of May this year 21,500 tonnes were collected nationally, equivalent to an annual collection rate of 6.8 Kg per person. Our EU target is to reach 4KG per person by end 2008. This performance would place us on course to achieving 170% of our target within the first 12 months and to double our EU target by end 2008", Minister Roche said. Almost half a million household appliances, 85,000 fridge freezers and 78,000 TVs and almost 40,000 power tools have been recycled to date. "These figures confound some of the doom-laden prophecies that were being bandied about last year", the Minister added.

Speaking at a function to mark the establishment of the WEEE Monitoring Group, comprising relevant public and industry stakeholders who will be responsible for monitoring the effective operation of the WEEE Directive in Ireland, the Minister said, "having led the way in implementing the WEEE Directive Ireland can become a World class performer in recycling WEEE, Ireland's performance to date has been stunning." etc.

See here for more http://www.environ.ie/DOEI/DOEIPub.n...7?OpenDocument

[Hal9000]

I think that the WEEE charges are a real missed opportunity. By making the customer pay a fee for recycling, we have let the manufacturer off scott-free to continue to package and manufacture goods without having to worry too much about how difficult it is to recycle.

We could have gone the way of some of our European neighbours in the past, and made the manufacturer/distributor responsible for the disposal of the goods. Instead of going bust, market competition kicked in and customers got packaging that was more easily disposed of (natural popcorn (coated) is still used as packing material for some white goods in Germany, as it is fully bio-degradable!). This was used as part of reducing the cost to the company of recycling, hence bringing the price down, allowing greater competitiveness.

With the current scheme here, there is very little advantage to manufacturers to make their goods and packaging more recyclable - the customer picks up the tab anyway!