WASTE
Getting WEEE right at
civic amenity sites
Although the industry exceeded a WEEE collection target during the first compliance
period, much work is needed to reach further goals. Adrian Harding at the Environment
Agency, offers advice to local authorities on processes such as reviewing take-back.
W
aste electrical the Weee Directive, fully implemented for reuse, or treatment and recycling. this is
and electronic in the UK in July 2007, aims to divert Weee the equivalent to about 6kg per person in a
equipment (Weee) from landfill by increasing the proportion full year, exceeding the 4kg collection target
is one of the fastest- that is separately collected, reused, where required by the Weee Directive. this is an
growing types of waste in the Western world. possible, or sent for specialist treatment and impressive achievement and one in which
each year, over two million tonnes of new recycled. local authorities played a very important role.
electrical equipment is sold in the UK alone. In the first compliance period, to the end Over two-thirds of the 1,500 DcFs are local
all these products will one day become waste of December 2007, over 184,000 tonnes authority civic amenity (ca) sites.
and local authorities have a key role to play of UK household Weee was collected
in helping to ensure these items are dealt with separately at designated collection facilities
Raising performance
safely, responsibly and legally. (DcFs) or taken back by retailers and sent However, there is no room for complacency.
there is more Weee that can be separately
collected from household and non-household
sources. there is an aspirational target to
separately collect 10kg of household Weee
per head of population by the end of next
year. the recent economic downturn may
have a short-term impact on the purchase of
new equipment and the amount of Weee
that consumers discard.
the government has announced plans to
run a promotional campaign later this year to
raise public awareness and further encourage
consumers to keep Weee separate from
ordinary waste and put it into the Weee take
back system.
Now is an ideal time for local authorities
to review existing take-back arrangements
at their ca sites that are DcFs. it is worth
checking that Weee is being properly
segregated. if it’s not, is better signage,
closer supervision or further training needed?
local authorities should also anticipate the
possibility of more Weee arriving at their
sites in future. Many consumers will be
encouraged to participate in the take-back
system for the first time, and therefore it’s
important that their first experience is a good
one.
Illegal exports
it is also vitally important that local
authorities and their contractors know where
over 184,000 tonnes of household WEEE was collected in the first compliance period.
Weee is going when it leaves their ca sites.
SuStAinAblE SolutionS January/December 2009 39
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