Wastecare Compliance has reported that WEEE recycling volumes are ‘encouraging’, and on course to meet national targets for the first time in six years.
Last week saw the release of UK WEEE data for Quarter 2 from the Environment Agency, in which a total of 118,952 tonnes of household WEEE had been collected nationwide.
Clément Gaubert, Wastecare’s Producer Compliance Director, said “As a part of the Wastecare Group, we have been witnessing increasing numbers of household WEEE products undergoing recycling and reuse. We were pleased to see a 2% increase in volume compared to Q2 2022, confirming the encouraging volume seen in Q1 (120,505 tonnes)”
“If we look closely at the data, almost a quarter of the volume collected came from high street retailers – This is a lower number than Q1 2023 and 2022 and slightly disappointing considering the information campaign OPSS launched earlier in the year to remind retailers of their takeback obligations.
If collection volumes maintain this trend for the rest of the year, Mr Gaubert is confident “national collection targets could be met for the first time in six years.”
Overall household WEEE volume reported in the first 6 months of this year is tracking over the annual collection target of 471,942 tonnes – a target Defra increased by 1% compared to the amount of WEEE collected in 2022.
Defra WEEE Reform
A Defra consultation on the reform of the WEEE system will be published in the coming months, which will include proposals to drive up the collection of household and non-household WEEE, new obligations for retailers and online marketplaces, and how national collection targets are set in the future to ensure they reflect consumer trends and changes in the electrical products lifecycle.
Once this consultation is released, Wastecare Compliance will be hosting a webinar series to summarise its content and discuss its implications on compliance scheme members and the wider WEEE industry.
