The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has now published its consultation on reforming the producer responsibility system for waste electrical and electronic equipment 2023.

In short, the proposals look at making it easier for consumers and householders to recycle their electrical goods and how these new policies would be financed.

Some of the key points within the consultation include:
• UK-wide collections of waste electricals directly from households – saving the public from having to travel to distant electrical disposal points.
• Large retailers rolling out collection drop points for electrical items in-store, free of charge, without the need to buy a replacement product. 
• Retailers and online sellers taking on responsibility for collecting unwanted or broken large electrical items such as fridges or cookers when delivering a replacement. 
• Suppliers of vapes to properly finance the cost of their separate collection and treatment when the items become waste.

In addition to the consultation, there is a call for evidence document to respond to. Unlike the consultation, the call for evidence does not represent agreed Government policy, but instead considers policy reform where limited evidence currently prevents formalised policy proposals.

Some of the key points within the call for evidence include:
• Increasing re-use of unwanted electrical and electronic equipment.
• Eco-modulation of consumer products, measured by criteria such as ‘hazardous substances’ and ‘recyclability’.
• Improving treatment standards by implementing tools such as product passports and obligating reporting requirements for AATFs.

Please find the full press release here, the consultation document here, the call for evidence here and impact assessment here.

The BMRA will be responding to both the consultation and call for evidence in due course. As such, we strongly encourage you to participate in this process either by sending thoughts and views on questions contained within the consultation and/or call for evidence to assist BMRA in the construction of its responses; or by submitting your own response.

Comments can be sent to BMRA via email to [email protected].

Please note the consultation and call for evidence will remain open for response up until 7 March 2024.