HC Deb 10 November 2003 vol 413 c10W
Mr. Simon Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the change in waste to UK landfills of excluding printer cartridges from the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; and if she will make a statement. [135888]

Mr. Morley

The Government have not undertaken an assessment on the change in waste to UK landfills as a result of not including printer cartridges in the scope of the WEEE Directive. The Directive applies to whole products placed on to the market and not to individual components, sub-assemblies or consumables, such as printer cartridges.

There are currently a large number of businesses which refill printer cartridges, and the Government would like to see this continue. Further, cartridges which are in a printer at the time it is discarded will have to be reused or recycled.