An additional £3.3 million, generated by the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive Compliance Fee in 2018, will be spent on projects that will support higher levels of reuse and recycling of waste electrical and electronic waste, the Joint Trade Association (JTA) has confirmed.
The compliance fee was introduced into the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations in 2014. It is used to support the delivery of the regulations and provides a mechanism for compliance when a Producer Compliance Scheme (PCS) has insufficient evidence to meet their annual WEEE collection targets. The JTA’s proposal for the 2018 Compliance Fee was chosen by the Secretary of State for Environment earlier this year.
Among the activity that the fund is already supporting:
A new open call for technical research projects will open on Monday 20 May 2019. Developed project proposals should be sent to info@weeefund.uk by 30 September 2019 and applicants are encouraged to engage with the WEEE Fund as early as possible.
Susanne Baker, Chair of the JTA, and head of techUK’s environment and compliance programme said: “Our focus will continue to be on spending the Fund carefully on projects that can deliver genuine and lasting improvements to the system, with the buy-in and support from the community of local authorities, businesses and civic society groups that manage and deal with these products at the end of life.”
Scott Butler, WEEE Fund Manager, said: “While the first phase of technical research was focused on pressing research needs, this next phase gives us the opportunity to explore whether the Fund can support and pilot innovative collection models, support more effective enforcement and recycling efficiency. Further, we will explore whether we need to complement our public communications campaign with one focused on targeting businesses.”
The JTA has said that it would be carrying out an independent audit of the Fund, which will be made publicly available. Quarterly updates will be posted on the WEEE Fund website to provide an overview of the funds that have been committed.
Comply with Clarity
Clarity’s WEEE compliance scheme provides its members with low cost and simple compliance, alongside unrivalled member support. 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.
