Trade group calls for united front to handle WEEE regs

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations are due to be brought into EU member state law this month, and set the responsibility for the disposal of this form of equipment, which can contain a number of hazardous substances, firmly on the shoulders of the equipment producers

GAMBICA, a UK trade body representing the interests of companies in the instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology industry, has responded to the change in the law by setting up a disposal scheme that will allow the industry to share the costs and burden of compliance.

Although the regulations are primarily targeted at the disposal of IT equipment and household-derived goods such as personal computers etc, the general consensus among laboratory equipment manufacturers is that these goods will come under the auspices of the Directive.

And because producers of lab equipment tend to supply high value, low volume goods, they will not have the economies of scale afforded by some of the large PC manufacturers for example. So they need to combined their efforts and split the costs, according to GAMBICA​.

The Directive sets out 10 different categories of products that come under the regulations, including three that could include lab equipments - Category 9 (monitoring control), Category 8 (medical devices) and category 3 (related IT equipment).

There are many hazardous substances used in WEEE including lead, cadmium, mercury, bromine compounds and arsenic, and disposal raises threat of pollution to the water, air and land.

The WEEE Directive was adopted in February 2003 and sets targets that 65 per cent of IT equipment must be recycled and materials such as CRT's, LCD displays, printed circuit boards, batteries and flame retardant plastics be pre-treated before disposal.

Crucially, the Directive sets targets for the collection and recycling of WEEE, and places the financial responsibility for treatment on producers of the goods.

Collection, treatment and financing systems for WEEE must be in place by September 2005 and the first collection and treatment targets are to be attained by December 2006.

Heavy metals and toxic flame retardants used in the manufacture of appliances will be banned from July 2006.

GAMBICA's new scheme will be run by a not-for-profit company that will "will take over many of the obligations of its individual company members in complying with [the] legislation,"​ commented Geoff Young, the body's chief executive.

Colin Andrews, deputy director of the laboratory equipment group at GAMBICA, told LabTechnologist.com​ that one of the major problems with the Directive is that it is hard for companies to work out whether they come under its umbrella, and one of the services that the new scheme will do is assist companies in this evaluation exercise.

Each supplier of products covered under the Directive needs to be registered and provide evidence that they are complying with its requirements. GAMBICA B2B Compliance aims to provide an entire service - from registration to disposal - in return for a joining fee and annual subscription.

Andres noted that the cost of this service has not yet been set, and the company must still get official recognition by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

To date, 13 of GAMBICA's 240 member companies have joined the scheme, providing the core funding to get the effort off the ground. However, the scheme will also be open to non-member companies, said Andrews.

The UK's interpretation of the WEEE regulations is not expected to be firmed up before the end of the year.