2012 levels of business-to-business WEEE collection fall compared to 2011

There was a drop in the recycling rate for business-to-business waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in the first three quarters of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, reports computer disposal specialist Collect and Recycle (http://www.collectandrecycle.com). The Environment Agency data suggests that much remains to be done if the UK is to meet a 45% recycling rate by 2016.

Data sent out to producer compliance schemes in December shows that some 103,705 tonnes of business-to-business WEEE were collected between January and September last year, compared to the 108,101 tonnes recorded for the same period a year earlier. It was also confirmed that households recycled 368,527 tonnes during the same nine month spell, which also marked a decline from the 380,915 tonnes achieved at the equivalent time in 2011.

The collection rates have been proportionately calculated by linking to the amount of new electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) that has been placed on the market. This means that the UK’s overall WEEE collection rate for the first three quarters of last year cannot yet be calculated. Although figures for the amount of new household equipment placed on the market for 2012’s first nine months are now available, it is expected that those interested in the computer scrap industry will have to wait until March for the release of the figures for business EEE.

However, the broad similarity of the tonnages collected between January and September 2012 to the same period in 2011, in which a 38% collection rate for the whole country was recorded, suggests that the 45% target that was set out for the UK under the WEEE Recast – which will come into effect from 2016 – is still some way from being achieved.

Collections in the third quarter of 2012 actually hit an annual high, with 127,331 tonnes being recorded during the period compared to the 121,246 and 119,950 figures posted for the January to March and April to June periods respectively. At the same time, there has been a fall in the amount of new equipment entering the market, from in excess of 790,000 tonnes in the first three quarters of 2011 to the just over 780,000 recorded a year later.

This is a trend of recent years that has been partly attributed to falling consumption caused by global economic strife, in addition to manufacturers making new models more lightweight than their predecessors.

Collect and Recycle (http://www.collectandrecycle.com) is just one of many companies that have been leading the way in WEEE disposal in recent years. We have built a strong reputation for collecting and disposing of electrical waste in a safe way, with operatives arriving at client premises to remove redundant equipment at a convenient time to said client. Contact us now for a competitive quote relating to our expertise, which encompasses computer recycling, refrigerated appliance recycling and more. 

Editor’s Note: Collect and Recycle (http://www.collectandrecycle.com) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Please direct all press queries to Louise Byrne. Email: louise@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.