‘ Approved WEEE Disposal Contractors’

1. ‘Approved WEEE DisposalContractors’ Who are they, and how do you know that companies contacting you are part of the approved process? David Lloyd - Environment Agency

2. Agenda • A brief Introduction to the WEEE Regulations • Local Authorities involvement • Who are the WEEE ‘disposal contractors’– Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATFs) & Approved Exporters (AEs) • How do you know that they are approved?

3. A Brief Introduction to the WEEE Regulations The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regs 2006 - came into force from 1 July 2007 in relation to local authority involvement

4. A Brief Introduction to the WEEE Regulations-the aims • Maximise the separate collection of household Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE); • Ensure this WEEE is treated appropriately to protect the environment; • Re-use, recycle and recover WEEE to target levels, • Dispose of any residual WEEE in an environmentally sound manner

5. A Brief Introduction to the WEEE Regulations-the essential requirements • WEEE split into 10 (+3) categories, each with separate recovery & recycling targets • All separately collected WEEE is to be treated • All treatment sites (‘disposal contractors’) to be permitted • ‘Producers’ of EEE, finance a proportion of collection & treatment costs of the separately collected WEEE

6. A Brief Introduction to the WEEE Regulations- who’s affected? • ‘Producers’ of electrical or electronic equipment (EEE); • ‘Distributors’ of household EEE; • WEEE storage and refurbishment sites can register exemptions from Waste Management Licensing; • treatment sites have new treatment standards to meet; • local authorities can put forward their sites as ‘Designated Collection facilities’ (DCFs); • business end-users will have obligations to finance the treatment and recycling of their WEEE in some circumstances

7. Local Authorities involvement • No actual requirements to comply with WEEE Regulations as LA’s are ‘end-users’ • However can register their waste transfer sites as Designated Collection Facilities (DCFs) via National Distributor Take-Back Scheme (DTS) - run by Valpak)

8. Local Authorities involvement – Benefits include: • Funding given for site upgrades, containers etc; • costs of onward transport, treatment, recovery, recycling and any disposal of WEEE to be born by ‘Producers’ under the Regs. • LAs can still claim tonnages against their recycling targets

9. Local Authorities involvement • What WEEE waste classifies as ‘separately collected?’ for the purposes of LAs • That collected via Civic Amenity sites registered as (DCFs) • Bulky Waste collections – but only if they pass through a DCF • Other routes also include in-store take-back (Reg 32) and compliance scheme approved systems (Reg40A)

10. Who are WEEE Waste Disposal Contractors? Approved ATFs* (AATFs) & Approved Exporters (AEs) * Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) = legally operating sites

11. Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) • Any facility carrying out treatment of WEEE and which is licensed permitted, or exempt from licensing • Only ATFs can apply to become approved as AATFs • The operator must carry out treatment to the standards identified in Defra’s Guidance on: Best Available Treatment Recovery and Recycling Techniques (BATRRT) and treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

12. What are AATFs? • Approved authorised sites (ATFs) that have applied to issue WEEE evidence • Approved by the Agencies to issue the evidence • Required to ensure consistent and auditable evidence of re-use, treatment, recovery and recycling • Have to meet treatment standards and provide quarterly returns

13. What are approved exporters (AEs)? • Any company who exports WEEE for treatment and/or recovery and recycling can apply to become an approved exporter (AE) • Approved by the Agencies to issue the evidence • Will issue WEEE evidence of treatment, recycling, recovery and re-use of separately collected whole untreated WEEE • Have to comply with Waste Shipment Regulations, ‘broadly equivalence’ requirement and provide quarterly returns

14. How do you know that they are approved? • Ask for their approval number which should look something like: WEE/XX0001XX/ATF or WEE/XX0001XX/AE • Refer to the Public Registers on the Environment Agency website (next slide) • Ask if they are aligned to the Producer Compliance Scheme(s) that is (are) ‘clearing’ your DCFs

17. In Summary • Regs aim to maximise the separate collection of household WEEE, its reuse, recovery, recycling and proper disposal • Costs covered by Producers of new EEE • LAs have no direct legal obligations, but can take advantage of funding for upgrading CA sites, and cost savings for onward transport and processing, • LAs can still claim tonnages towards targets • Approved contractors should have WEEE Reg. Nos, and be on EAs public register • Check whether they are operating on behalf of the PCS clearing your site

18. A good reference document

19. Thank You & Any Questions? David Lloyd (Environment Officer) david.s.lloyd@environment-agency.gov.uk Tel: 01562 534109