Wayne Copley REPIC
The gap between
EEE and WEEE
Topics
• About Repic
• EEE and WEEE – where does it all go
• What is being done to close the gap
• Q&A
About Repic
• REPIC is the largest household WEEE Compliance Scheme
in the UK, responsible for around 50% of the WEEE
collected in the UK.
• REPIC was established by producers that are directly
responsible for financing the costs of WEEE.
• REPIC is one of the 6 Battery Compliance scheme run for
its members.
• REPIC runs a Packaging Compliance Scheme for its
members.
About Repic
•
REPIC collects from a larger portion of population through Local
Authorities that any other PCS.
•
In addition REPIC collects from producers, retailers, charities
and other WEEE collectors, we are closer to balance than at any
time in our past.
Our WEEE objectives remain:
– To collect WEEE in line with our obligations
– To contract directly with designated collection facilities
– To provide each LA with its own service level agreement
– To maintain existing WEEE arrangements where the LA wishes
– To ensure there is no financial burden on Local Authorities
– To increase the amount of separately collected WEEE
About Repic
EEE to WEEE
• What the statistics show
• What we (consumers) do
• What this means for EEE – WEEE
• What is being done to control WEEE.
EEE to WEEE
What the statistics show (2010 data)
• UK producers place 1,206,246 EEE tonnes on the market
(new items) source EA data
• UK WEEE system reports 500,621 WEEE tonnes collected
(WEEE waste) source EA data
• Looked at another way – average UK person
– buys ~ 20 kilos of EEE and disposes of ~ 8 kilos of WEEE
– Difference ~ 12 kilos what happens to it?
EEE to WEEE
What we (consumers) do
•
Big items – Washing Machines / Tumble Dryer / Dishwasher
– Do we keep more than one washing machine in the house?
– Is it safe to assume 95% of households just have 1 each type ?
– Why then is the collection rate in the UK 95% instead of 32%?
– Where does it go and what happens to it?
•
Smaller items – Toaster, Kettle, Mobile-phones, i-gadget,
– Do we dispose of one every time we buy a new one?
– Do these items sit in draws and cupboards – just in case?
– Is it safe to say 20%, 40%, 60% or 80% of people do this?
– When consumers decide to dispose what do they do?
EEE to WEEE
What we (consumers) do
•
Fridges
– Do we keep more than one fridge in the house?
– How many people buy the same size, how many buy bigger ?
– Units weights range from ~25kilos (small) to ~300kilos (large)
– Do we ask the chap delivering the new one to take the old one ?
•
TV / Display Units
– Do we keep more than one of the above in the house?
– Do we buy new lounge TV while the old one is still working ?
– How many buy the same size TV, how many buy bigger ?
– Modern technology – bigger screen but lighter unit weight.
– Do we “upgrade” each room getting rid of the small old TV?
EEE to WEEE
What this means for EEE and WEEE
• Big items – Washing Machines / Dryer / Dishwasher
– 32% is captured under UK WEEE System
– ? 95% is disposed of = difference of ~ 300,000 tonnes
– Worth circa £45 million at typical scrap market values
– 300,000 scrap which is lost to the UK WEEE reporting
system
• The UK system only captures end of life electrical arising at
DCF or retailers – anything outside these routes is
“processed” but not counted.
EEE to WEEE
What this means for EEE and WEEE
• Small items – Toaster, Kettle, Tools, Mobile-phones, i-gadgets
– 23% is captured under UK WEEE system
– Some new EEE sales never become WEEE in the UK
– Second life overseas markets – Mobiles, IT kit, etc
– Second-life UK markets for – some vacuums etc
– Some WEEE Re-use is operating outside WEEE system
– White-van-man collecting Big items will also take small
– Second -life markets, Non-AATF WEEE re-use, and Whitevan-man are all disposal routes that are lost to the UK
WEEE system.
– Some routes could be open to illegal export activities.
EEE to WEEE
What this means for EEE and WEEE
• Fridges
– 1 for 1 displacement is likely for most households
– Technology change to American side by side units
– Sales trend new (EEE) is larger / heavier than old (WEEE)
– A statistical gap exists but is it real or just numbers
– Fridges are costly to process properly to UK standards
– Active overseas “second-life” market for Fridges
– There is an active scrap market where Fridges are crushed
for scrap and not treated to WEEE standards in the UK.
– Overseas second-life and UK scrap processing are lost to
UK WEEE system.
EEE to WEEE
What this means for EEE and WEEE
• TV / Display Units
– 1 for 1 displacement is unclear in this consumer sector
– Large flat screen TV are lighter than old TV sets
– New EEE is lighter than WEEE = more then 100% returned
– Costly to process properly to meet UK WEEE standards
– Some WEEE Re-use is operating outside UK system
– Healthy overseas second life market.
– Non-AATF and overseas tonnes are lost to UK system.
– Some routes may also be open to illegal export activities.
EEE to WEEE
What this means for EEE and WEEE
Source Data - http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/waste/111016.aspx
? WEEE gap possible reasons - residual potential ?
HOUSEHOLD WEEE Groups
EEE Sales
WEEE system
WEEE Gap
Lost to UKWEEE reporting system
? Potential
Large Household Appliances
476,168
151,444
-324,723
Tonnes going to non-WEEE scrap man
23,808
Cooling Appliances
173,039
106,327
-66,712
Units sales heavy v old WEEE units
1,730
Display Equipment
120,383
142,229
21,846
Mixed WEEE
428,349
99,925
-328,424
8,308
695
-7,613
1,206,246
500,621
-705,626
Gas Discharge Lamps
TOTAL
Already more WEEE than EEE
1,204
Garage / Loft / Second-life / Scrap-man
42,835
not considered
69,578
• The real WEEE gap is not simply the statistical difference
• WEEE is more complicated than the simple statistics show
and is often misunderstood and poorly reported.
• The above “gap” assumptions will be wrong but they may
be closer than you think ?
• Tackling poor WEEE treatment and illegal waste is the
priority for UK Authorities
EEE to WEEE
What is being done to close the gap.
• By the UK Authorities
• By the EU
• By PCS like Repic
• By Local Authorities and other WEEE collectors
EEE to WEEE
• What is being done to close the gap.
• Gap = what is lost to the UK system and the UK
Authorities are concerned that this may be leading to
substandard treatment and / or illegal exports of WEEE.
• UK Authorities are now clamping down on WEEE routes
through DCF network, illegal exporters being prosecuted,
and the EA task-force have ongoing investigations
• EU clamp down in new WEEE Directive which will impact
on UK by 2014 latest.
EEE to WEEE
The UK Authorities WEEE activities.
Illegal WEEE export cases in court
• 2009 Illegal WEEE leaving Plymouth CA sites
• 2010 – 10 people in court for illegal Waste activities
following a 2 year EA investigation.
• 2010 Illegal WEEE leaving Croydon & Merton
• 2011 - EIA report and Panorama TV programme highlights
the continuing illegal practices in WEEE system.
EEE to WEEE
The UK Authorities WEEE activities.
BIS letter to all Local Authorities highlights a short list of important
compliance points, including:
• Local Authority remains legally responsible, even where the
operation of activities in the DCF are sub-contracted.
• Must have an arrangement with a WEEE PCS for collection and
treatment of all WEEE arisings from your DCFs.
• Entering a contractual relationship with anyone else for collection
of WEEE would be a breach of your terms of approval as a DCF
• Such arrangements must be in place with a PCS before any WEEE
is sent for treatment and evidence is raised; and
• You and your onsite contractors must make all separately collected
WEEE deposited at DCFs available to a PCS without charge.
EEE to WEEE
The EU WEEE Directive re-cast.
• EU wording agreed process completing April 2012.
– introduces minimum monitoring requirements for the
shipment of WEEE / used EEE to stop illegal shipments
to countries outside the OECD.
• Implementation for UK still being worked on
– Likely consultation starts later 2012
– Implementation looks likely to be January 2014
EEE to WEEE
Producer Compliance Schemes.
• WEEE obligations to WEEE collections moving closer
towards balance in PCS market
• Less trading means more PCS have own WEEE Evidence
with supporting audit trail of WEEE they have financed.
• Under BIS letter PCS and DCF are being driven to work
together to de-risk WEEE going to un-regulated parties.
EEE to WEEE
Local Authority DCF Network.
• BIS letter reminds Local Authorities of WEEE responsibilities,
to deal with a PCS to de-risk WEEE going to un-regulated
parties.
• LA DCF to provide all WEEE to PCS at no-charge - avoids
money derived from sub-standard treatment and illegal export
driving poor environmental decision.
• More direct arrangements with PCS that need the WEEE
would result in less trading and more clear audit trails for
WEEE financed by producers.
EEE to WEEE Gap
Summary
• Statistics taken in isolation can be misleading
• WEEE is more complex that other waste streams
• Un-registered and illegal activities are being tackled
• Where you have obligations check that you comply.
Thank you for listening
Please feel free to ask any questions
Contact Details
Wayne Copley
Procurement Director
REPIC Limited,
REPIC House, Waterfold Business Park
Waterfold, Bury, BL9 7BR
TEL: 0161-272-0001
Email: waynecopley@repic.co.uk
For more information about WEEE please view our FAQ page at
www.repic.co.uk
HEALTH WARNING: The UK WEEE Regulations are open to interpretation,
this presentation should not be relied upon as advice, you should take your
own advice. REPIC accepts no responsibility for any incorrect
information or interpretations contained in the presentation.