Weee directive

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Gents, can anyone enlighten me on the exact wording of this legislation when it comes to the disposal of:

Old computers with their hard drives removed, keyboards, mice, wall warts, flatscreen monitors etc.

Lighting fittings, incandescent type without lamps, mainly metal and plastic

Open frame mains transformers of 2 to 4KVA size

Large lead acid batteries from UPS units.

I'm presently being fed what sounds like bull from a jobsworth who doesn't want to do anything


Thanks, Ed

[dominicbeesley]

There isn't one directive but many so answering all that would take a lawyer but there was a change during 2019 that means a lot more stuff is covered but weee. Until 2019 specific things were covered now everything that 'requires a current to function' is covered unless specifically excluded.

What are they trying to get you on?

Domestic or industrial?

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Folks, it is stuff from the museum; a load of 20 + year old tower computers, Several 100) various knackered incandescent light fittings and bits from several UPS systems that were recently stripped out.
Commercial might be a better category

Ed

[paulsherwin]

Your local authority should take all this stuff, but they may impose a charge if it's deemed to be commercial.

Have you a local "Rag and Bone" outfit, we see one about once a year, got rid of a few unwanted scaffold poles that way.

[G6Tanuki]

Any of the major waste-companies will supply you with a WEE skip: my local go-to is "Viridor".

Whatever you do, make sure the people you give the job to have proper "waste transfer" licenses and record the license-details (I take a photo of their paperwork with my phone) - it's an offence to employ someone without such licenses and if they subsequently flytip or dispose of the waste in violation of regulations you can find yourself on the nasty-end of a prosecution as well as the flytippers.

[AC/HL]

Certainly around here, you need to register your vehicle, and a large van would be seen as commercial. Local authorities have to pay for waste disposal just like other contractors, and with finances being tight they're getting ever more keen on the distinction. Electronic waste does have a value though, and it shouldn't be difficult to get it uplifted subject to G6's advice.

[paulsherwin]

If you really want to minimise the cost you can remove all PSUs and mobos from the PCs and sell the mild steel cases to the local scrapper. There's obviously some work involved with this, but it shouldn't take too long with an electric screwdriver. You will be left with some electronic waste, but as this is usually priced by weight you will pay a lot less than disposing of the complete units.

[David Simpson]

It used to be Paragraph 47 of the EU Directive which said all WEEE must go to an ATF or AATF(Authorised Treatment Facility) I.e. a "Skip" Site.
I ken, because I had to read Para 47 & the Relevant EU Directives(or say that I had read) before I was granted a "Para 47 Exemption Certificate". Which meant that I could "Womble" council skip sites officially & could also receive WEEE for recycling(but not as a business). But, & its a big but - I had to submit accurate records detailing everything down to the last Kg every year. And, I initially had to show that I had suitably acceptable electrical/electronics qualifications to recover & recycle WEEE safely. And, your workshop & storage area is examined.
All the bumph should be available on the English EA(Environment Agency) Website.
However, I gave up the Cert about two years ago, so didn't know that there had been changes in 2019.
You could try your local Council's "Waste Management Manager"(not some clerical assistant in a jobsworth council office.
Some private WEEE sub-contractors such as SITA can be amenable to exemption cert holders. As can college departments & test equipment laboratories, I found.
Seemingly, Aberdeen City & Shire Councils have got fed up of tinks & chancer builders in their vans pretending to be dumping private waste at the recycling centres around here. So rumour has it that all vans are being refused access unless they cough up a fee.
I think that "legally" - with any non-private van or truck transporting WEEE, Scrap Metal, etc. - the driver must have a copy of a current "WML" - Waste management Licence.
Its the case of the odd nerd or chancer spoiling the rest of the community's easy access to recycling centres & skip sites.

Regards, David

[GMB]

I had the hassle of registering our company for WEEE. As indicated above there are different rules for business and domestic WEEE.

The original idea was that manufacturers paid "protection money" (as I call it) to waste processors, the idea being to pool it so eventually the cost of processing WEEE has already been paid for up front. We used to pay a "minimum charge" because the price was in tonnes and our stuff was small and specialised, so only a few kilos. After a few years they relented and so small manufacturers were effectively exempt although I think we still have to submit an annual return for our "0 tonnes" after rounding. Our stuff was for business users.
Our payment meant that our waste company would deal with any of our products if the customers sent them back for recycling. That was the idea - it never happened.

I didn't fully read into the domestic deal but the main idea I remember from the government seminars was that retailers were obliged to take back WEEE FoC when you bought new stuff, but on a strictly like-for-like basis. There was some debate about what that exactly meant. We were told that the idea was that a customer buying a TV, for example, could hand in a TV for free recycling, but not a toaster for a TV.

There was supposed to be a nationwide network of local WEEE recycling centres being set up, and I had the impression that this would be an adjunct to the local supermarket recycling for all the things that the council don't collect. I have never seen one! All I see is WEEE at the council tips - and I think that they should not charge you - because us manufacturers have already paid them for it, albeit rather indirectly.

I think it must be OK because for the things they do charge for the alternative disposal scheme is heavily used. This is where people take their waste to the agricultural land we bought and throw it over the hedge. Luckily for us, most people do not appreciate how big hedges are and so it mainly ends up on the verge. I then call it in to the local council who take it away for free if it didn't make it onto our land. We don't see a lot of WEEE.

[paulsherwin]

Council recycling centres do normally accept reasonable amounts of WEEE waste from private individuals FOC, though there can be problems if you turn up in a van. We all know that local authorities are under a lot of financial pressure, and this causes them to apply charges and restrictive conditions whenever they can get away with it. This in turn results in an increase in fly tipping by criminals. In most areas waste disposal is a county responsibility while cleanup after flytipping is a district responsibiliy, so there is no incentive for joined up thinking.

[Ed_Dinning]

The big problem is that the museum is council run and the council culture is "NO!", now what is your question ?

It would be useful to be able to quote chapter and verse to them.

Ed

[paulsherwin]

All councils can perform WEEE disposal. The facilities were set up as part of the implementation of the WEEE directive. Are you saying that they are refusing to take the waste?

[Tim]

The very same regulations mean that I ( an Openreach customer service engineer) am supposed to go to the TEC ( depot) that has”proper” waste management and disposal facilities. My nearest TEC’s are Bristol & Swindon, both an hour away.

[David Simpson]

'Trufe is - Commercial & Educational establishments are bound by the EU Directives to dispose of their waste/surplus/BER WEEE classed items just to council skip sites & registered commercial waste disposal companies. With the onus on them to pay for the skip hire & transport costs.
I used to collect & take away stuff for free, thus saving folk any costs. I'm only talking up to a boot load of several Kg to several tens of Kg. But for them to pay a contractor for sending a "man in a van" or hiring a small skip they would have had to cough up a £100 or more.
Have you ever seen the motorised metal shredders that some scrap yards have ? A van load of scopes, sig gens, AVO's, etc could be reduced to a small heap of metal shards & scrap glass in 5 minutes ! Whereas my turnover of refurbished/recycled test equipment was near to 80% of input/year. So nigh-on no landfill, and myself & the vintage radio/electronics fraternity benefited.
I my wombling days, I came across guys like myself who had official permission to recycle/refurbish kids bikes, prams, some toys, and so on.
Our local council recycling centres, have dedicated large bins for batteries, light bulbs, etc., and separate big containers for white goods, TV's, videos, radios, computers, etc.,& a thumping big skip for general scrap metal.
Up to now I've never experienced any problems with the helpful staff in putting stuff where it should go.
Ed, perhaps your council has a (lucrative ?)sub-contracting deal with one of the private waste companies. So, as I recommended - speak, email, or write direct to the Top Waste Management Manager & politely suggest he liaises direct with the Top Museums Manager, so that both of them can order their underlings to help you rather than fannying about with their minds in reverse & their finger lodged where the sun doesn't shine. Before I left the RAF back in '75, this was my perception of civil service, local government petty officials, and in some cases - civs in general. Quite frankly, even now, I'm still reluctant to lose this perception at times.

Regards, David

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi David, I unfortunately must agree with you.
The council says it must be done the "correct" way, but don't like the idea of that amount of money being spent from a very restrictive budget.
Ed

[GMB]

If you are disposing of items made from 2005 then if you can trace back to the manufacturer, or rather with whom they are registered for WEEE disposal, then they must take it FoC.

Lead-acid batteries may actually be worth money on the scrap market.

[Ed_Dinning]

Certainly the transformers and batteries are worth money but to get a decision to dispose is virtually impossible.
It is much easier to say NO!
This inertia by civil service types is costing dear.

Ed

[woodchips]

Ah, the WEEE directive, put me out of business when it arrived. Even though I wrote and met my MP and explained nothing was done, do you remember the red tape challenge?

The answer is to not describe it as waste. If it isn't waste then not covered by the WEEE directive or the waste carriers license.

If you have stuff generated within your business, for example lathe turnings and similar, then it isn't waste, take it to the local scrappy and they will have it all off you. Just make sure you get some money for it, and an invoice, so it it is worth money then it can't be waste.

This will get rid of any metal, batteries etc. If you have PCBs then use AWA at Harlow who will do gold recovery.

Domestic items go to the local tidy tip, washing machines, fridges and anything else.