Scheme to encourage electrical waste management

More than enough retailers to make a success of an industry-wide scheme to offset requirements to collect used electrical/electronic equipment under the WEEE directive have already joined .

Valpak Retail WEEE Services says it has registered well in excess of the required number of retailers needed to make a success of an industry-wide scheme which will offset requirements to collect used electrical equipment.

More than 2,300 retailers, including Argos, Comet, Tesco, ASDA, Littlewoods Shop Direct Group, B and Q, Homebase, Boots the Chemists, Selfridges, J Sainsbury, Woolworths and Toys R Us have joined the Distributor Take-back Scheme (DTS), alongside many small independent retailers who do not always primarily sell electrical goods.

DTS membership currently represents in excess of 75% of UK electrical retailing, well above the levels required to make the scheme a success.

As members of the DTS, retailers do not have to make arrangements for in-store take back, storage and disposal of their customers' old electrical goods at the point of sale.

Instead, scheme members have pledged to contribute into a fund of £10m, which will be used to assist the development of the UK's network of WEEE collection facilities.

DTS members will then be responsible for promoting the use of these facilities to their customers.

Retailers are still welcome to join the DTS, and from 1st July 2007 they will either need to have become members or be ready to provide in-store take back in order to comply with the WEEE Regulations.

If they do not they run the risk of prosecution.

Valpak also says that potential designated collection facility (DCF) operators, such as local authorities and waste-management companies, can now register their sites with Valpak and that this list will then be passed to the DTI for approval.

The purpose of registering is to enable the cost of transporting, treating and recycling WEEE from DCFs to be met by producers from 1st July 2007.

In addition, Local Authorities which register CA sites (or equivalent) will also receive some funding from the £10m DTS fund to assist them in preparing for the regulations.

In order to be included in the system from the outset, DCF operators must register their sites by 4th May 2007.

Steve Gough, CEO at Valpak, says: "We have been working closely with the DTI, retailers, trade associations and Local Authorities throughout development of the DTS".

"We are pleased that the UK retailing community have chosen to take advantage of the alternative to in-store take-back afforded to them by the DTI".

"We now look forward to working on compiling a register of designated collection facilities, such that producer responsibility can begin on 1st July".

Trade and Industry Minister, Malcolm Wicks says: "I'm encouraged at this early stage in sign-up, that so many retailers, of all sizes, believe the DTS to be a suitable option in helping them to meet their obligations under the WEEE directive".

"As we move towards industry taking full responsibility for electrical waste from July this year, this scheme will play an important part of our on-going efforts with industry to set-up a viable electronic waste system that gives them flexibility in meeting their obligations".

"I would now like to encourage designated collection facilities (DCF) operators and in particular local authorities, to begin the process of registering their sites as part of the WEEE collection network".

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