Legislation Update The Packaging Regulations the WEEE Regulations

Legislation Update: The Packaging Regulations, the WEEE Regulations and the Batteries Directive Tessa Bowering Environment Officer (Waste)

THE PACKAGING REGULATIONS h h h The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment)Regulations 2008 – came into force on 14 th March 2008. Increase targets for recovery and recycling. The higher targets will save this year 8 m tonnes of CO 2 from being emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere. The targets will increase again over the following 2 years to realise a further saving of 258, 097 tonnes of Co 2 in 2009 and 285, 436 tonnes in 2010 Over the next year Defra will be working with in industry, LAs, WRAP and others to develop a package of measures to increase aluminium recycling Aluminium is one of the Waste Strategy’s priority materials, high value and carbon rich.

Recovery targets h 72% recovery target for 2008 h 2009 target = 73% h 2010 target = 74%

Material Specific Recycling Targets: 2008 h h h Glass Aluminium Steel Paper Plastic Wood 78% 35% 68% 67. 5% 26% 20. 5%

Recycling Targets

Amendment Regulations The WEEE (Amendment) Regulations 2007 h Came into force on 1 January 2008 h Five main areas : - the counting and evidencing of whole appliances for re -use - the issuing of evidence of WEEE to the nearest kg - the right of the final holder of WEEE from private householders to return it to the system FOC - extension of deadline for issuing evidence (from February to April) - So. S prescribing the format for distributor records h

Progress on the Development of the UK WEEE System h h h h There a total of 1556 DCFs – meets the Directive requirement to establish an adequate network of collection facilities from household WEEE. PCS: 37 approved and operational. The approval is valid for 3 compliance periods i. e 1 July 2007 – 31 December 2009 Producer registrations: 4065. 1. 51 million tonnes of household EEE placed on the UK market DTS: 2680 members (as of 5/11/07) AATFs – 158 applications covering 283 sites in first compliance period. 117 applications covering 202 sites approved for second compliance period. AEs – 41 approved in the first compliance period, 32 applications received for second compliance period Provisional figures (first 3 months of the WEEE system) indicates that in excess of 100, 000 tonnes of household WEEE have been separtaly collected.

Further information and guidance i Internet www. environment-agency. gov. uk/weee including FAQs and details of approved Producer Compliance Schemes www. netregs. gov. uk i Telephone us 08708 506506 i Email us enquiries@environment-agency. gov. uk Please put WEEE in the subject line

EU BATTERIES DIRECTIVE h h The new batteries’ directive came into force on the 6 th September 2006. UK has until September 2008 to introduce the necessary regulations New Directive affects any business, including manufacturers and importers, that sell batteries and accumulators in the EU. It will also affect third parties involved in collecting, treating and recycling batteries as well as businesses that throw away waste batteries (some of which are classified as hazardous waste)

Key Provisions of the Directive h h h h Restrictions on the use of mercury and cadmium in batteries Labelling requirements for new batteries to aid consumer choice and recycling A 25% collection rate for waste portable batteries to be met by September 2012, rising to 45% by September 2016 A prohibition on the disposal by landfill or incineration of waste industrial and automotive batteries – in effect setting a 100% collection and recycling target The introduction of producer responsibility obligations The setting of recycling efficiencies to ensure that a high proportion of the weight of waste batteries is recycled The setting of waste battery treatment standards For further information http: //www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Waste/Producer. Respo nsibilityobligations/batteries

Thank You Tessa Bowering tessa. bowering@environment-agency. gov. uk Please note: This presentation provides a summary of some but not all of the WEEE Directive’s requirements. It was written on 17 October 2006. You are advised to refer to the text of the Directive and subsequent UK Regulations. Commencement dates are subject to confirmation. Nothing in this presentation is intended to be a definitive statement of law.