Government WEEE consultation – Recolight collating lighting industry responses
Today, 20 October, the Government announced a consultation on the WEEE regulations. It covers some key issues for the lighting industry. It invites comments on how “open scope”, which brings household luminaires into scope, is to be implemented. There is also a vital opportunity to address the scale of WEEE non-compliance through online retailers. Recolight will work with its members, and the Lighting Industry Association (LIA), to submit an industry response.
The consultation is in three parts, and will run for six weeks. Responses should be submitted by 8 December.
The first section covers the way “open scope” will be implemented. It presents four options, with the Government’s preferred option to use the existing WEEE categories. That approach would mean luminaire producers would avoid the burden of categorising their products by physical size, when reporting the products they sell to their WEEE compliance scheme. Other options would mean producers having to separately record products above and below 50cm in size.
The second section asks for comment on two planned regulatory amendments, both of which should make the UK WEEE system fairer.
The third section invites companies to comment on how the regulations are working. Of particular relevance to the lighting industry, opinions are sought regarding the scale of WEEE non-compliance that takes place through online retailing platforms. Recolight was instrumental in raising the profile of this issue recently. Their analysis suggests that LED lamps which do not comply with WEEE, sold through some online multi-seller retailers, could represent around 20% of all lamps sold in the UK. For many in the lighting industry, tackling this issue is a vital step in establishing a level playing field.
Discussing the consultation, Recolight CEO Nigel Harvey said: “This is a great opportunity to contribute to the development of the UK’s WEEE system. At Recolight will be canvassing the views of our members over the coming weeks, and working with the LIA, to prepare an industry response. But we would equally appreciate input from other stakeholders.”
Nigel Harvey will be presenting the three sections of the consultation at LUX Live on 16 November, 11:30 in Tech2 Theatre.
