January 8, 2007—Producers of electrical goods in the UK will from July 2007 be required to meet the environmental costs of dealing with waste products under the new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, says the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Under WEEE, all companies that import, manufacture, and rebrand electrical and electronic equipment will have to finance its treatment, recovery, and environmentally safe disposal. WEEE supports broader government initiatives for dealing with waste that focus on producer responsibility.
DTI says that a Distributor Take-back Scheme (DTS), funded by 10m from retailers, will establish a network of designated collection facilities where consumers can get rid of their electrical waste. The money will primarily be paid to local authorities to assist in the improvement of civic amenity sites so that electrical waste can be separately collected there.
For more information on the WEEE Regulations, visit the DTI site.
