Latest data on the collections of waste electrical equipment suggests that meeting this year’s overall recycling target could be challenging, despite collections having increased from last year.
The data on the amount of household WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) collected during the first quarter of 2019 was published at the start of June. It shows that in total 123,489 tonnes of material was collected during the three-month period at the start of the year.
This was a slight increase – of around 2,000 tonnes – when compared to the same period during 2018.
For 2019, Defra has confirmed an overall goal for WEEE compliance schemes to collect a total of 550,577 tonnes of WEEE for the year in March, an increase of roughly 12% than the total amount of household WEEE collected and reported by compliance schemes in 2018.
While signs that the overall amount of WEEE collected for recycling compared to the same period in 2018 are to be welcomed, collections in the first three months of the year still fell below the required 137,644 tonnes-per quarter collection rate required to meet the target.
Targets for the collection of WEEE have been missed in consecutive years, with more than £10 million having been taken in ‘compliance fee’ money from schemes who have been unable to meet their targets. It is intended that this money will finance projects aimed at boosting the collection of WEEE.
