The latest figures outlining the amount of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) placed on the market, and the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) collected for the third quarter of 2014, have been published by the Environment Agency. This year’s figures are significant as they follow the revised WEEE regulations which were introduced at the beginning of the year.
Continuing a trend seen through the rest of 2014, the amount of EEE placed on the UK market has increased each quarter, rising to 305,009.595 in the period from July to September. This brings the total amount of EEE placed on the UK market this year to 841,781.203.
At 128,692.169, the amount of household WEEE collected has also increased from the previous two quarters. The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) has set a target to collect a total of 490,000 tonnes of WEEE in 2014 and to reach this, the UK will have to hit similar figures again in the final quarter of the year, which is higher than the amount collected in the same period last year.
David Adams, Clarity Environmental Managing Director, said: “There are no big surprises in the quarter three data, with either the amount of EEE placed on the market or of the amount of WEEE being collected. Collections have increased each quarter and we will need to reach a similar level in the final quarter of this year, to ensure the UK reaches the 490,000 tonne target.
“So far, figures on both collections of WEEE and amount of EEE placed on the market in 2014 has followed a similar trend to last year. We continue to see the effects of the move to LED, LCD and plasma screen technology, with the amount of display equipment collections decreasing again this year from 2013, against an increase in the amount of products placed on the UK market.
“The amount of Category 12 cooling appliances placed on the market also continued to show a quarter on quarter increase, rising from 39,931.961 in January to March, to 58,340.861 in Q3, along with the amount collected as WEEE, which has also increased from last year. Both figures could be explained by long spells of warm weather causing breakdowns in appliances, seasonal buying from consumers during the summer months, and the trend for American style fridges, which are often far larger than traditional products.
“Another figure to note is the amount of photovoltaic panels placed on the market, which saw a jump in quarter 3, from 4,437.517 tonnes in the first quarter, to 11,655.650 tonnes between July and September, which could be as a result of an increased number of producers recognising the need to report in this new category, or could perhaps suggest a large increase in solar panel installations in the summer months.”
Clarity’s low cost WEEE compliance scheme is one of the fastest-growing in the UK, offering a full range of services to producers and business end-users. If you are a small producer and would like to know more about the support Clarity can offer, please contact our technical specialists on 0845 129 7177.
