The household waste electrical and electronic (WEEE) collection data has been released, along with news that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has increased its proposed collection targets for 2017.
Published earlier this month, the data indicates that the collection target for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has been met for 2016, following a growth in the tonnage of WEEE collected.
A total of 581,415 tonnes of WEEE was collected throughout the year, representing a growth of 11 per cent compared to 2015, and over 37,000 tonnes higher than the target of 544,342.
Defra has proposed to increase the target to 633,643 tonnes for 2017. This means that collections will need to rise by 8 per cent on last year. The target will still remain below the EU target of 776,000 tonnes for 2017, with the shortfall expected to be made up of WEEE arising and treated from other sources outside of the compliance system.
The new targets have been calculated using growth or collection data over varied periods. For those categories of WEEE where collections have increased over the five-year period, the new targets will be higher than the preceding year. For those that have seen collections drop, Defra has proposed a lower rate in 2017. This is evident in categories such as lamps. With the shift from fluorescent to LED luminaires resulting in lower tonnages collected, the target has been dropped from 6,882 to a proposed 6,009 tonnes,
Vikkie Fitzgerald, Clarity’s Project Manager, welcomed the publication of this year’s collection targets: “The collection figures are reflective of the industry’s steady growth, which can only be good news for the sector and it is right that the targets should keep increasing.
“We currently await the collection target for our membership. Using our network of AATFs as part of the Recycle with Clarity initiative, we can control our levels of recycling to ensure our members have confidence in our ability to handle their varied obligations under the UK WEEE Regulations. As our membership grows, so does our network of sites.”
If you are interested in working with the Recycle with Clarity initiative, or if you are looking for a low-cost compliance scheme, contact a member of the team on 0845 129 7177 or at weee@clarity.eu.com
