Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 1
1
The system of collection targets in the UK is unclear.
Conclusion
The system of collection targets in the UK is unclear. National figures on collection rates include a significant amount of estimation about electronics that have been collected in different ways, with no clear understanding as to whether those collected electronics are treated in a high-quality manner. This leads to a perception that all is well compared to other countries that do not use these estimates. (Paragraph 30) Recommendation 1
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
We note the Committee’s concern around the use of substantiated estimates and potential issues with their reliability. We know that a significant amount of white goods such as cookers and washing machines, are treated and properly recycled outside of the producer funded WEEE system. They have an intrinsic scrap metal value that results in a payment made by metal recyclers to collectors on delivery of these items for treatment. For this reason, significant quantities are managed outside the system of collection and treatment, financed by producers that is established by the 2013 WEEE Regulations. Nevertheless, it is important to understand the volumes of equipment that is captured outside of the producer led system to assist in setting meaningful targets and to gather evidence on the wider environmental impacts of policy. The use of estimates based on research minimises burdens on businesses, often