Renewing the life cycle
Ireland is on track to meet its 2016 EU target for the collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Yet more action is needed to address the tsunami of electrical waste and batteries which will need recycling, says Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland.
What is WEEE Ireland’s role?
WEEE Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation, founded by producers of electrical and electronic appliances in order to comply with legal obligations imposed by the 2005 WEEE Directive.
WEEE Ireland organises the treatment and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment from authorised collection points, on behalf of its producer members.
We have also provided a batteries recycling scheme under the Batteries Directive since October 2008.
WEEE Ireland’s main goal is to provide effective environmental compliance for our members, meeting both collection and recycling targets as outlined in the Directives. We mainly focus on business-to-consumer electrical waste, which means getting waste electrical equipment back from the householder.
The process is one of collective responsibility, supplying recycling solutions on behalf of our members . This delivers a lower cost to our members and Irish consumers because these costs are ultimately part of the price of an appliance. The lower we can make compliance costs while still delivering on environmental obligations, the lower the costs to the Irish consumer.
What are the benefits of membership and what is involved?
The WEEE Directive is founded on the principle of ‘extended producer responsibility’ therefore once a WEEE producer places an electronic appliance on the Irish market it is legally obliged to have a system in place to take that product back when it becomes waste, as well as a share of the historical electrical waste in the marketplace before 2005.
A producer can decide to be self-compliant, which involves up to a €15 million bank deposit (protection against companies disappearing from the market with its products still requiring collection). Alternatively, it can join a compliance scheme such as WEEE Ireland. If a retailer buys from a producer not registered in Ireland, the retailer becomes the ‘producer’.
Our 900-strong membership is a mix of everyone from multi-nationals to the sole trader with the joining and membership fees scaled accordingly.
A recycling management cost is charged (per kilogramme of material) for WEEE that is placed on the market. This is dependent on product category. The scheme provides guidance and advice for producers and retailers and has a compliance team available to meet with members at their premises as required.
We audit members approximately once every three years to improve systems and compliance. WEEE Ireland also provide communications and updates for members as well as events such as special day collections, ‘WEEE to work’ programmes and ‘WEEE Wagon’ days.
How successful has Ireland been in meeting the WEEE Directive target?
Supported by good legislation to transpose the WEEE Directive, we have worked hard to implement a good compliance scheme. We hit the ground running in 2005. By 2006 we had a national WEEE recycling rate of 6kg per head of population, 2kg above the target. 7.88kg of WEEE per head of population was collected in 2011.
By 14 February 2014, Ireland must transpose the new recast WEEE Directive. Countries will have to recycle 45 per cent of the average volume of goods placed on the market over the previous three years by 2016. Ireland is close to that level already but the target increases to 65 per cent by 2019. The extra 20 per cent will require a big push but we can achieve it.
The use of a visible recycling fee on certain appliances can create great awareness among consumers.
What current projects are WEEE Ireland working on?
Though analogue television broadcasting will end on 24 October, people’s televisions may not be at the end-of-life stage.
Consumers can consider going digital by using set-top-boxes in order to prevent waste or if households decide to use replace their TVs, they should think of allowing someone else they know use the old one. If the old television does come to an end-of-life stage, it’s important to recycle it properly at retailer collection points, local civic amenity recycling centres or WEEE Ireland collection events.
We’re also highlighting the message that batteries and small waste electrical devices cannot be put into rubbish bins. People must recycle portable batteries and Ireland must increase its recycling rate from 29 per cent to 45 per cent by 2016.
WEEE Ireland suggests:
• collecting your old batteries in a blue WEEE Ireland battery box (provided in this issue of eolas); and
• bringing it to a local shop that sells portable batteries, a civic amenity site or a WEEE Ireland collection point. Look out for the blue boxes!
We will give large or small battery boxes for distribution to any NGO or local authority that wants to participate in this scheme. For information phone Local 1890 253 252 or check our website www.weeeireland.ie
What are the main challenges facing WEEE Ireland and the recycling sector?
There is still a large volume of WEEE sold before 13 August 2005 (i.e. historic WEEE) which needs to be taken back by the system. It will probably take another 10 years to remove that liability.
Electrical waste placed on the market since the scheme started (i.e. new WEEE) has begun to filter back. We have a tsunami of electronic appliances coming our way and we have to build ourselves up for that. The system must be tightened up so that retailers, local authorities and householders understand and know their obligations. WEEE must be returned to an authorised collection point and treated by an authorised compliance scheme as part of a well-documented system so we meet our EU collection and treatment targets.
In addition to our 100 or so civic amenity sites, we collect from approximately 400 retailer hubs. Over 50 per cent of material we collect comes from retailers’ back yards and the system needs to support retailers in providing this service to consumers. It is not just a question of collecting this e-waste; it must be treated to a high standard at special permitted and licenced facilities so the potentially hazardous elements are removed and the different materials such as metal, glass, plastics etc. are recycled for use again in industry, saving on raw materials and resources.
Proper environmental management is a priority for the scheme and we place a high importance on quality systems, auditing programmes and treatment standards to ensure this happens to the WEEE managed on our behalf.
We recently met with the consultants conducting the Government’s producer responsibility initiatives (PRI) model review. Compliance schemes play a significant role in helping Ireland meet its environmental targets and delivering a cost effective solution for Irish consumers, and WEEE Ireland has been a good example of a PRI doing this to date.
With 4.6 million people in Ireland, we need to group the WEEE tonnage and try where possible to support quality local Irish recycling plants. The alternative would be multiple smaller operators sending waste material to numerous different locations abroad, meaning that the added value for the economy would be gone with the materials.
There are many advantages in having an Irish not-for-profit, transparent compliance scheme owned by its members, delivering our national targets on behalf of the Government.
What is next on WEEE Ireland’s agenda?
Members and the board of management want us to remain focused on our core compliance activity in WEEE and batteries. Other PRIs have approached us about looking at their particular industries and this as a potential area for us. We’ve just come through seven years so we will be refreshing our strategy and linking it with the PRI review and the recast WEEE Directive.
For more information please contact
Leo Donovan, CEO
Suite 18 The Mall Beacon Court, Sandyford Dublin 18
Tel: +353 1 2999320
Email: info@weeeIreland.ie
