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2019 WEEE Targets Missed for the Third Consecutive Year

Figures released by the Environment Agency (EA) show the WEEE collection targets have, for the third year in a row, fallen short.

The UK’s 2019 collection target was based on 65% of EEE placed on the market in the previous year.  This amounted to 550,577 tonnes for 2019, however at 494,976 tonnes, collections have fallen short by 10%. And, at 2,000 tonnes more than the amount collected in 2018, this continues the trend for collections to remain mainly static for the past three years. It’s also widely expected that other EU member states will fall short of the 65% target. The shortfall in collections mean that some UK compliance schemes will have to pay the compliance fee for tonnage missed.

Although disappointing, the collection data released in the third quarter of last year suggested all materials would fall short of targets. With an upcoming consultation of the WEEE regulations, as well as additional campaigns planned in 2020, this year looks to be a pivotal one for the industry. Funds raised by the compliance fee are being used for a national WEEE recycling campaign, “Recycle your Electricals” with the intent of making WEEE recycling clear, easy and convenient to the general public. There are also the imminent changes to the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS) to consider, which will see much recycling brought in-house by major retailers.

Vikkie Fitzgerald, Head of WEEE at Clarity Environmental, said missing the 2019 WEEE collection targets was disheartening but not surprising.

“With so many changes in market forces in more recent years, such as the growth in online retailers, the government must ensure the WEEE Regulations remain fit for the purpose they were originally intended. Key to this is to look at how targets are set.”

“The Government’s recent post implementation review highlighted a need to do just that. We look forward to seeing how we may achieve these changes when the consultation on the regulations is opened later this year.”

Clarity’s WEEE compliance scheme provides its members with low cost and simple compliance, alongside unrivalled member support. Sign up to our newsletter to receive regular updates on regulation changes and keep up with the latest industry developments.  If you would like to discuss compliance with the WEEE regulations, get in touch with a member of our team at weee@clarityenv.eu or on 0845 129 7177.

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