The British Retail Consortium (BRC) proposes a new Distributor Take-back Scheme (DTS).
The DTS has been operated on behalf of the BRC for 12 years by Valpak Retail WEEE Services, but is due to end on 31 December 2019.
Now that the general election is over and the new Government is in place, the BRC calls on the Secretary of State for the Environment to ensure the DTS is able to continue to support Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) collection in the UK. The Government must ensure sustainable progress in the retail industry continues to accelerate.
Peter Andrews, Head of Sustainability at the BRC, (pictured), said, “A new Distributor Take-back Scheme (DTS) is vital if the UK is to continue delivering one of the highest collection rates for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) in Europe.
“Retailers have provided over £13 million in funding to Local Authorities through the Scheme to increase the collection and recycling of WEEE. A new DTS will further increase the UK’s WEEE collection point network, making it more convenient for more consumers, whilst raising greater public awareness of the importance of WEEE recycling.
“A new DTS is needed to maintain the recycling momentum until the Government reviews the regulations in two years. The DTS will provide key information to help decision makers when reviewing the WEEE regulations.”
Fiona Thompson, International and Environmental Compliance Consultant at Valpak, said, “As well as giving retailers time to plan, the interim period would also enable the DTS to gather valuable data on the most effective ways to implement consumer take-back schemes.
'For example, are supermarkets more popular with consumers to return WEEE items to than out of town retail parks? Building a bank of robust data will enable government and industry to be much better positioned to make an informed choice in the future.”