August 2004
Hazardous Waste Proposals - Are You Ready?
There have been many changes in recent months to the hazardous waste regulations, are you ready for the next set of changes?
A consultation paper outlining new hazardous waste procedures and regulations was launched in early August by the Government.
The paper will bring into effect the provisions of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of Certain Hazardous Substances (ROHS) directives, and will cover the movement of waste from the producer to the disposal or treatment facility.
Disposal and recycling guidelines for manufacturers of electronic waste were also published this week by the Environment Agency (EA) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Due to come into force from August 2005, all producers, importers and retailers of electrical and electronic equipment will be responsible for establishing a collection network for the treatment, recycling or recovery of products.
Head of Waste Regulation at the EA, Liz Parkes said: "We are keen to ensure that all those involved in the treatment of electronic waste are fully prepared for what will be required of them under the WEEE directive. This proposed guidance is an important step towards that."
Around one million tonnes of electronic waste is thrown away each year in the UK which contains lead, mercury and CFCs, harmful both to humans and the environment. Ms Parkes stated that a need exists to regulate the hazardousness of the waste we are creating: "While many large household appliances such as cookers and washing machines do get recycled, most types of electronic waste are not treated or recycled and end up in landfill. The amount and hazardousness of this waste must be reduced."
But much confusion still exists within the industry as to exactly how the directive will be enforced despite the new guidelines, according to Pascal Leroy, Government Affairs Manager for the Environment at the European Committee of Domestic Equipment Manufacturers (CECED). "We do not think that the directive will be implementable or enforceable, and concerns that companies will be left seriously exposed by the WEEE directive are shared throughout the industry."
The key issue was still that no-one really knew who the legally responsible parties were for much of the waste. Mr Leroy said that the definition between the role of the producer and the retailer remained to be clarified sufficiently, despite CECED having raised the issue with authorities since 2001.
Requirements not to mix hazardous and non-hazardous waste will now be extended to producers, which will help to reduce hazardous waste at source, improve recovery opportunities and lower waste management costs throughout the chain.
Environment Minister Elliot Morley said that the new system and simpler methods for tracking wastes would be beneficial to everyone in the industry: "By providing a streamlined tracking system with site notification, our proposals will allow the Environment Agency (EA) to focus more strongly on tackling hazardous waste at source, provide guidance to producers and target those that do not comply with regulations." He also added that the introduction of fixed penalties of £200 for non-compliance with specific offences in the regulations would save time and effort pursuing court cases for relatively minor crimes.
The EA welcomed the tighter controls on hazardous waste, but Ms Parkes urged companies to check what was in their skips as business waste such as batteries and computer monitors would now be classed as hazardous and would need appropriate handling and disposal.
"It is vital that businesses think about how the new rules might affect them, what they need to do, whether they will need to register with the EA and if they can cut down on the amount of waste they produce," she said. "Leaving it to the last minute could leave them with a hazardous waste problem."
Mr Roy Watkinson, Hazardous Waste Policy Manager at the Environment Agency also said producers should raise their awareness of what types of waste are classified as hazardous. He urged them to "be smart", by introducing hazardous waste minimisation and reduction programmes, and to "be compliant" and aware that the duty of care rests with the producer.
For advice and support in the management of your waste streams, contact Dr Richard Whitaker on 024 76 279 000.
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