Lighting . . . . be aware of
the WEEE Directive and the implications for you and your customers, but if you are unsure then ask . . . .
handled when it is removed from a building and to date the emphasis for the lighting industry has been on the handling of mercury and fluorides. This particular need will reduce over time as more and more of the lamps will be LEDs which require a more PCB orientated recycling process, but the basic principles remain the same and that is the need to work with a reputable compliance scheme with the correct waste handling procedures to ensure that you are meeting your obligations.
Embrace the change There is no doubt that the industry as a whole is embracing the WEEE Directive and one of the key indicators which I expect to see more of is specifying houses insisting on WEEE compliance as part of the tender process. The effect that this will have on the market is
twofold; firstly it will mean that there is a far greater likelihood that specifiers will source their luminaires from manufacturers that belong to the same compliance scheme to simplify compliance and paperwork. But perhaps more importantly we will begin
to see a significant reduction in the number of cheap imports on the market displaying fake CE marking and dubious output claims because now, if a manufacturer is not able to prove compliance and ensure cradle-to-grave responsibility for their products, they will not be specified for a project. This in itself is great news for electrical wholesalers who have been at the mercy of cheap imports for some time but it also means that you need to be more aware of the products which you are stocking and which compliance schemes the many manufacturers belong to.
Be aware As a wholesaler you are not directly affected
by the WEEE Directive unless you place your own branded goods onto the market but that isn’t to say that you can ignore it entirely. As I have already mentioned, you have a duty to ensure that the products which you stock are covered by a compliance scheme – a fact which will become ever more important when household luminaires fall into the scope of the WEEE Directive. This particular move will mean that more
and more UK producers will be required to join WEEE compliance schemes like the one
operated by Lumicom and your customers will be looking to you for guidance on which products to purchase to ensure that they are meeting their obligations. You therefore need to continually review your list of luminaire suppliers to ensure that they are fully WEEE compliant in their own right and to ensure that you remain a source which your customers can trust.
All change The start of a new year always brings with it
a certain amount of change and many people may feel that as far as the WEEE Directive is concerned the implications for the industry continue to get ever more complicated. In fact nothing could be further from the truth because all you really need to do is ensure that a manufacturer is a member of a reputable compliance scheme. It is true that there have been a number of changes and that the regulations are tightening up; but compliance schemes were originally set up to deal with the recycling under the WEEE Directive and as a result they have built up a vast amount of experience since it was first introduced in 2007. So the basic facts remains the same – be
aware of the WEEE Directive and the implications for you and your customers, but if you are unsure then ask – a reputable compliance scheme will be only too happy to help.
www.lumicom.co.uk
18 | electrical wholesaler February 2014
www.ewnews.co.uk
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