UK New Regulations: Wholesalers and Large Retailers Must Recycle End-of-Life Luminaire

Foreign media reports: The UK Government announced that wholesalers and retailers must recycle end-of-life luminaire.

据悉，Defra（英国环境、食品与农村事务部）现在已经确认，从2021年开始，大多数供应商被要求提供所谓的废旧电子电气设备（WEEE）的店内回收，包括报废的灯具和照明设备。新要求将适用于所有年销售额超过100,000英镑的零售商和批发商。

Online retailers without physical retail locations, as well as retailers with sales below the threshold, can avoid providing in-store WEEE recycling until the plan expires on December 31, 2021, by joining the 'Distributor Take-back Scheme' (DTS, a scheme funded by retailers to establish a network of designated collection facilities for consumers to dispose of electrical and electronic waste). This decision is also significant because most WEEE is now purchased online. Due to concerns that online retailers may not contribute sufficiently to WEEE recycling, Defra may conduct further reviews.

Defra emphasizes that although there is no immediate need to establish in-store recycling facilities, large retailers with actual business premises should note that their obligations will change from January 1, 2021; from that date onwards, they will no longer have the option to join the DTS.

Nigel Harvey, CEO of Recolight, a UK luminaire recycler providing WEEE compliance solutions for the lighting industry, commented on this news: "This change means that from next year, retailers selling luminaires will be required to provide waste lamp recycling services. This is good news. This requirement also applies to electrical wholesalers selling household or so-called dual appliances, although most wholesalers already provide Recolight's waste lamp recycling services."

"For years, the recycling rates for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and luminaires in the UK have remained stagnant. It is well known that to increase recycling rates, consumers must have convenient access to recycling facilities. This decision will significantly increase the volume of recycled electrical, electronic equipment and luminaires."

He added: "The legal obligation for recycling applies only when customers purchase products similar to those they are returning ('one-for-one'). However, strict enforcement of this challenge may mean that many companies will only offer service to all customers."

The Defra spokesperson announced this decision, stating: 'This decision was made in the context of the need to adopt new approaches to achieve more ambitious and challenging recycling targets for the UK from 2020 onwards.'

It is understood that the WEEE Directive stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. This directive applies to various categories of electrical and electronic equipment, including lighting products. According to the UK WEEE Regulations, manufacturers are required to take responsibility for the disposal of their products. Manufacturers must join a Producer Compliance Scheme approved by the Environment Agency (EA), which is responsible for the collection, treatment, and recycling costs of WEEE. Distributors are required not only to provide consumers with relevant environmental and WEEE disassembly and recycling information but also to facilitate free collection of WEEE from consumers. Defra is responsible for issuing operating licenses and managing waste treatment facilities.