What 2018 is likely to hold for Recolight, the Lighting Industry and recycling
As 2017 closes we take this opportunity to look forward to 2018 and share with you what the New Year is likely to hold for Recolight, the Lighting Industry and recycling.
WEEE compliance for Household Luminaires
Top of the list will be the need for companies supplying domestic luminaires, and similar, to sign up with a WEEE compliance scheme before the end of the year. It is also worth noting that many other products will also need to comply in 2019. This is likely to include light switches, plugs, sockets, and ceiling rose/lamp holder sets.
WEEE consultation
A government consultation looking at changes to the 2013 UK WEEEE Regulations closed on 8 December.
Recolight worked with our Lighting Producer members and together we submitted over 20 responses.
We look forward to the reading the Government’s response when it is published. The consultation had three sections.
Recolight views on the consultation:
Online free riding
During 2017, major online retailers faced criticism for failing to prevent large scale non-compliance of LED lamps, and other electricals, sold through their websites. In 2018, Government will face mounting pressure to legislate to plug this loophole, which undermines the competitiveness of compliant businesses. It is relevant that in the 2017 budget, the chancellor made online marketplaces liable for VAT if they “knew or should have known” that sellers using their websites should be paying VAT in the UK.
Recolight have spent 2017 highlighting the consequences of non-compliance across the industry.
> to read more on this story have a look at our press releases issued in 2017
LEDs entering the waste stream
During 2018, the proportion of LEDs entering the waste lamp stream will slowly rise. It is currently at less than 1%, but may rise to 2%. Not yet a problem. But given that LEDs are much more difficult to recycle than fluorescent waste, this is a headache in the making. Recolight is on the board of EucoLight, the European trade association of leading lighting compliance schemes. EucoLight has launched an important project to tackle this issue, which is hoped will provide workable recycling solutions.
Circular Economy
And finally, drafting could start on standards requiring manufacturers to take a more modular approach to design for serviceability, and requiring manufacturers use a proportion of plastics from recycled sources. This is because, in Europe, we collect and recycle more waste plastics than we can currently use or export. This problem is unlikely to be resolved until more manufacturers use raw materials from recycled sources. That could mean that mandatory standards are on the cards.
