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WEEE Update
Producers of electrical goods will from July 2007 be required to meet the environmental costs of dealing with waste products.
Following extensive consultation, Malcolm Wicks, the Science Minister, is finally able to enact the government’s commitment to introduce practical regulations to implement the WEEE Directive in the UK. All companies who import, manufacture and rebrand electrical and electronic equipment will have to finance its treatment, recovery and environmentally safe disposal. It recognises that this is the responsibility of those who produce the goods, and supports broader Government initiatives for dealing with waste that focus on producer responsibility.
By 15 March 2007 producers should have joined an approved producer compliance scheme to ensure that they are able to comply with the Directive from 1 July 2007.
The regulations will:
• Enable consumers to dispose of their electrical waste free of charge at accessible and appropriate places. Consumers will start to see changes from July 2007, with new signage at their local council refuse centres, in shops, and on new electrical products.
• Give distributors the choice of how to meet their obligations under the Directive by either joining the Distributor Take-back Scheme (DTS) or by offering customers in-store take-back.
• Allow existing relationships currently managing electrical waste to continue. This is consistent with the Government’s overall approach to regulation, which is to be as ‘light-touch’ as possible.
• Enable any operator of a designated collection facility (DCF) to arrange with a producer compliance scheme (PCS) to have the electrical waste deposited at their site taken away for treatment and recycling by that PCS, free of charge.
• Allow for and encourage the re-use of equipment after it has been discarded where possible.
• Allows for the continued collection of old equipment at the same time of delivering new goods by retailers, and some producers.
Laying the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations before Parliament, Science Minister Malcolm Wicks said:
“Electrical waste such as toasters, fridges and washing machines are a growing environmental problem here in the UK with over 2m tonnes being dumped in landfill last year alone. There is currently no incentive for those that produce them to care about the life cycle of their products. These regulations will mean they can no longer shirk this responsibility.”
“When I announced the clear implementation timetable in the summer it was to give business as much time as possible to prepare. Some responsible producers are already factoring the cost of recycling their product into the design process and recognise that caring about what happens to the goods they sell needn’t cost the earth.”
WEEE Facts:
The WEEE Directive aims to address the environmental impact of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and to promote its separate collection when it becomes waste (WEEE). WEEE is a priority waste stream for the EU because of its growing volume in the municipal waste stream and its potential hazardousness following disposal.
The Directive introduces producer responsibility for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Producers will have to finance treatment and recycling/recovery of separately collected WEEE in the UK to specified treatment standards and recycling/recovery targets. Retailers have an obligation to offer take-back services to householders. The Directive does not place any obligations on householders, and they will be not be prohibited from throwing WEEE away with general domestic rubbish. It will however encourage more WEEE to be reused or recycled by ensuring that there is a network of facilities in place where householders can return their used equipment free of charge.
For more information on: Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Regulations visit:
www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/sustainability/weee/page30269.html
Shop Leases
Last Month Planning Minister Yvette Cooper MP launched a new code of conduct for leasing business premises. The code aims to reach a wide business audience and inform both tenants and landlords of what constitutes good practice when negotiating commercial leases. It is hoped that the code, which is made up of a code of conduct for landlords, a guide for occupiers and a model heads of terms, will be particularly useful for SMEs who do not have as much access to professional advice as larger firms.
The Code for Leasing Business Premises in England and Wales 2007 is the result of collaboration between commercial property professionals and industry bodies representing both owners (Landlords) and occupiers (Tenants).
The new code should be of particular interest to readers of Toolbusiness+Hire who lease retail premises, hire shops and tool shops - which is many of you. Hire Association Europe has welcomed the Code saying it will provide tenants with a clear and concise guide to lease agreements, ensuring landlords operate to a pan-industry agreed standard. The new code offers three documents to improve the leasing standard:
• A far more focussed and therefore succinct two-page landlords’ code;
• A step by step guide for tenants;
• A heads of terms checklist, which all parties and their agents and solicitors can use during lease negotiations.
While the code is voluntary, trade and professional bodies, lenders and Government (at all levels) will be encouraged to disseminate the guidelines when negotiating leases. The Code is designed to benefit SMEs, by way of an easy to follow checklist that will make sure they are aware of the best deal available to them.
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Airstream Communications