10 Dec 2024

WEEE need more from Defra as government delays e-waste reforms

Defra has published the outcome to a major call for evidence and consultation on e-waste today, confirming that vapes will be added to the list of types of e-waste and that online marketplaces will be in scope of e-waste recycling rules too. However the previously promised longer term reforms will be further delayed. While the specific proposals are to be supported, techUK and members need to see much more detail from Defra on the strategy for circular electronics after many years of delays.

For background the e-waste rules are (amusingly titled) the WEEE Regulations and the system uses the long established ‘polluter pays’ principle which means producers of electronics pay in to the costs of recycling their items as they become waste and it has been something tech manufacturers have embraced.

The rules have broadly been successful and Defra should be credited with creating a well oiled machine of different players in a healthy market, generating growth and new industries, but the rules are old and in need of reform as digital transformation and higher reuse of things like phones, TVs and laptops become much more mainstream. We also need an update to a system that recognises that 'not all WEEE is equal' and that valuable electronics like smart phones and IT products should not be treated the same as broken hairdryers or non-valuable electricals.

techUK is concerned that with much-needed reforms being kicked further in to the long grass, the recycling industry will continue to keep treading water for years with the promise of changes tomorrow. Defra needs to be aware that longer delays undermine the confidence to trial new business models, invest in more recycling and see the UK benefit form some of the exciting stuff we’re seeing globally, so techUK urges them to share their plans as soon as possible. Tech manufacturers want more circularity and are driving campaigns like Recycle Your Electricals and it’s superstar Hypnocat, but without updating the rules to allow for more reuse in the system, collections will be lower than they could be.

Furthermore with the EU now turning towards e-waste reforms, the UK risks no longer leading this policy area, so it begs the question of divergence and whether we’re better off following the EU proposals to cut the costs of recycling.

We do recognise that new ministers with a different flavour of politics (the original proposals were consulted on under the Conservatives) may want to put their own stamp on things, but we also need clarity and consistency. techUK and members are very keen to understand where electronics and electricals sits with the new Circular Economy Taskforce and what the new strategy has in store for tech. techUK will also make the case that new digital innovations like AI and IoT will revolutionise waste and resource management, and can help make the UK a lot more circular.

Specifically on vapes the proposals have our full support and we welcome the decisive action here. Responsible brands have been picking up the tab for recycling these devices and local communities have been blighted by these brightly coloured menaces which are often littered and are frankly an environmental disaster. Despite disposable vapes having low prices they are essentially single-use tech products; something that should never exist. They are often dangerously made, have complex wiring, lights and batteries, yet often don’t comply with product safety rules and they cost a fortune to recycle. They also consume vast resources in their manufacturing which could be better used (to be clear we are only talking about the disposable ones, not the reusable/refillable vapes that have helped cut smoking).

Next year techUK will be running a campaign on digital innovations underpinning the circular economy and we really hope Defra wants to part of this. To learn more please get in touch with [email protected]

Craig Melson

Associate Director for Climate, Environment and Sustainability, techUK

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