(L-R): Event host David Nuttall MP, Minister of State Michael Fallon and Dr Philip Morton at yesterday's event
REPIC, the UK’s largest producer compliance scheme for the collection and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), held an event at the House of Commons yesterday (18 March) to mark its tenth anniversary, as well as the milestone of collecting and treating 1.5 million tonnes of WEEE.
Speaking to many of REPIC’s members at the House of Commons reception, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise Michael Fallon said: “Reaching 1.5 million tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment is a remarkable milestone to reach in less than seven years since the WEEE Regulations took effect.
“It is also an opportunity to celebrate the introduction of the better, fairer WEEE Regulations that we introduced at the turn of the year. I am sure these will translate into lower compliance costs for companies here today and indeed for the thousands of producers placing new electrical equipment on the market in the UK. The new regulations will be good for business, good for the environment and good for those local authorities that play such a crucial role in the collection and subsequent recycling of e-waste.”
Other speakers at the event also seemed positive about the direction that the WEEE industry is travelling in following revision of the UK’s WEEE Regulations.
Dr Philip Morton, CEO of REPIC, commented: “These are very exciting times for REPIC. We are hugely grateful to our members, LAs [local authorities] and other collection partner and treatment companies. Together they have helped us break the 1.5 million tonne mark in the UK. What’s more, we are entering REPIC’s eleventh year of operating, optimistic in the knowledge that the WEEE industry at large has better times ahead.
“The new regulations are designed to create a fairer, more transparent arena than previously, to better reflect the true cost of compliance, remove evidence trading and create a visible audit trail for treatment and recycling.”
As part of its tenth anniversary celebrations, and to further drive awareness of REPIC’s recently launched Responsible Recycling campaign, the not-for-profit compliance scheme has set aside £10,000 for a series of local community competitions. Running in partnership with ten of its local authority partners, REPIC will be giving away new electrical equipment to charitable causes in England, Wales and Scotland.
Learn more about REPIC.
Get our weekly digest
resource.co article ai
How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.