No exemptions will be made for small firms when it comes to the responsibility of discarding electrical waste, new government guidelines have stated.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has published guidelines on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations.
The aim of the directive is to ‘address the environmental impacts’ of obsolete electrical equipment by encouraging its recycling or environmentally sound disposal.
The new regulations, which come into force from July, will mean businesses that manufacture, brand, import, sell or store electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) will now become responsible for its disposal.
Many small business owners have previously expressed concern over the lack of clarity about just how far their responsibility extends and how much it will cost to implement the new regulations.
Michael Pipe who runs a medium-sized electrical outlet in Haverhill, Suffolk, said that his business already disposes fridges and washing machines correctly but ‘can’t afford another potentially expensive cost’.
According to the DTI guide ‘the WEEE Regulations apply to all businesses regardless of size’ and there are ‘no exceptions’ for smaller firms. However, the DTI were keen to point out that the government is ‘working to ensure that any costs to [small firms] are not disproportionate’.
The full guidelines for the WEEE directive can be found on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk
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