Cost of living hits WEEE collection rates

Producer compliance schemes say it "seems unlikely" targets for the collection of household waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) for recycling will be met in 2022.

The Environment Agency published data covering the collection of household WEEE by producer compliance schemes and their members between July and September yesterday (1 December).

The figures show producer compliance schemes collected 118,268 tonnes of WEEE in the third quarter of the year.

This represents a slight fall from the same period last year, when producer compliance schemes collected 126,844 tonnes (see letsrecycle.com story). However, it is more than the 116,344 tonnes producer compliance schemes collected in the three months between April and June this year (see letsrecycle.com story).

Producer compliance schemes have collected a total of 355,160 tonnes in 2022 so far, meaning they are some 69% of the way to their annual target. For 2022, the Agency set compliance schemes the target of collecting 511,377 tonnes of household WEEE, an increase of around 4% from the 490,541 tonnes collected in 2021.

Producer compliance schemes REPIC and Ecosurety both expressed concerns about the impact of the cost of living crisis on the amount of EEE placed on the market, with the amount of WEEE collected likely to reflect the fall in volumes.

The collection of large household appliances and lighting equipment is particularly off the pace, with just 67% of the target volumes for each category collected so far this year.

However, the collection of display equipment has proved successful, with 78% of the required volumes collected.

Targets for the collection of WEEE have been missed in five consecutive years, the last couple set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Louise Grantham, chief executive of WEEE producer compliance scheme REPIC, said it "seems unlikely" the targets will be met because collections in the fourth quarter of the year tend to be the least fruitful, particularly this year "with the impact the cost of living crisis has had, and is expected to continue to have, on the amount of EEE placed on the market."

"Whilst there is not always a direct causal link between WEEE collections and EEE placed on the market, the impact on disposable income is likely to make householders more cautious in both their spending and disposal decisions," Mrs Grantham said.

"If compliance schemes are unable to meet their targets through collection, a compliance fee methodology that reflects the impact of the current very difficult market conditions will be important if we are to avoid undue financial burden on producers, and ultimately the consumer."

Mrs Grantham said the proposed compliance fee methodology put forward by the Joint Trade Association includes a cost of living adjustment. Compliance scheme Valpak has also put forward a proposal. Defra will announce the chosen WEEE compliance fee methodology in February (see letsrecycle.com story).

REPIC told letsrecycle.com a combination of factors made it unlikely that collections of large household appliances would recover sufficiently in the fourth quarter of the year to meet the target.

There remains a "significant amount" of large household appliances collected and treated outside the WEEE system due to its "inherent value", REPIC says, and scrap metal prices have been at a level in 2022 that has resulted in this trend continuing. In addition, REPIC says the amount of EEE placed on the market in the year to date in 2022 is 13% lower than in 2021.

REPIC says lighting equipment comprises 1% of WEEE collections and is mostly collected at designated collection facilities in small mixed WEEE skips. It is therefore subject to the same influences as small mixed WEEE collections, REPIC says, which are currently running 6% below the pro-rata target.

Louisa Goodfellow, policy advisor at producer compliance scheme Ecosurety, expressed similar concerns to Mrs Grantham, saying it seemed "inevitable" the UK would miss its WEEE collection targets and a compliance fee would be needed for the sixth year in a row.

"Although it's hard to pinpoint exactly why under 70% of the target has been achieved by Q3, it's likely partly due to current inflationary pressures and energy prices affecting transport and treatment costs," Ms Goodfellow said.

"Furthermore, the increased cost of living on consumers can already be seen in this year's lowered placed on market figures, so it makes sense that the availability and collection of goods such as large household appliances has followed suit."

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