Extended Producer Responsibility for WEEE – Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Although the current WEEE Regulations have been largely successful in meeting recycling targets, it is hoped that reforming these Regulations will help to drive sustainable design decisions and will make it easier for consumers to make more sustainable choices.

The consultation process will explore how the Government can incentivise producers to redesign products to support a more circular economy. And clear outcomes, objectives, targets and responsibilities will need to be established to support long-term planning, investment and innovation.

It is believed that Defra’s WEEE EPR reforms will target:

• Incentivising, and in some cases mandating more sustainable, resource efficient EEE product design
• Increasing WEEE collections and recycling, particularly looking at distributors’ obligations
• Tackling the incidence of free-riding and non-compliance that has arisen as result of the growth of e-commerce in recent years
• Ensuring the new producer responsibility regime for WEEE aligns with the wider network of producer responsibility regimes in effect for other waste streams in the UK

If Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for WEEE does come into force, we’re currently looking at implementation in 2024 at the earliest.

Businesses that are obligated under the UK WEEE Regulations should be aware of the following possible changes:

• EEE Producers may have to fully fund the management of their products at end of life
• *Modulated fees, or other measures, may be introduced to encourage more sustainable design, production and purchasing decisions

However, as the consultation process is yet to take place, these are not set in stone.

*Modulated fees – The contributions liable businesses will be obligated to pay into the reformed system will increase or decrease depending on the recyclability of the products they place onto the market.

Extended Producer Responsibility is only one aspect of the legislation proposed under the packaging reform. Visit our Plastic Packaging Tax and Deposit Return Schemes pages for further information.

Our 25 years’ experience means we not only have the data knowledge and systems in place to assist with the varying requirements of this legislation, but also the experience to handle compliance on our customers’ behalf.

We can also help with EPR internationally, where regulations already exist, via our International Compliance Service.