Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment

HC Deb 19 September 2002 vol 390 cc192-3W

Mr. Hammond

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it is the Government's intention that manufacturer and retailer responsibility for waste electronic and electrical equipment under the WEE Directive will begin at the central collection point. [73646]

Mr. Wilson

The Directive is still in draft form and is undergoing the conciliation process.

Under the Common Position text, retailers are obliged to take back items of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) from private households when supplying similar replacements. This can be fulfilled in-store, upon delivery of the new item or through a third party arrangement as long as returns are not made more difficult for the consumer.

Producers are responsible for financing costs associated with WEEE at least from deposit at a central collection point. Member States have an option to place costs on producers before this. The Government has not yet decided whether this option will be used in the UK and will consult widely on the Directive on a variety of potential implementation approaches, once a final text is available.