Following Sims Recycling Solutions’ announcement last week that it plans to withdrawal from the WEEE market, there is now a concern in the sector over whether the UK will be able to meet WEEE collection targets.
The recycling firm has decided to offload areas of its “loss-making” assets, a large part being the WEEE recycling operations run by the company. This is after claiming that it has become “commercially unattractive” due to a changing market and legislation.
Sims hold a large share in the UK’s WEEE processing capacity; approximately 25% over eight operating facilities. The statement comes after collection figures for the first three months of the year revealed that the UK is slightly below target for 2014 so far. This has prompted some concern in the sector, despite BIS describing the figures as “encouraging” last month.
Although the doors are closing on Sims, we remain optimistic the target can still be met. ecosurety continues to develop our network of evidence suppliers to ensure the security of our members’ obligations.
Read the full story here.
James Piper
Chief executive officer
James Piper is CEO of Ecosurety. As well as providing a consistently high service to our customer base of over 1,000 companies, James is driven to bring about positive change in the compliance market through increased transparency and accountability. Since taking this position in 2016, James has worked to demonstrate that recycling compliance need not be perceived as a tax, but an opportunity for brands to align their producer responsibility obligations with their sustainability agenda.
Useful links
Up to £50k available to fund research that addresses some of the significant losses of electrical waste currently occurring.
Read More >>In a recent letter to WEEE handling organisations, the Environment Agency has provided additional guidance to ensure they comply with the legal requirements for POPs and hazardous waste.
Read More >>As predicted earlier in the year, the positive trend of WEEE collections experienced in Q1 has unfortunately failed to carry through into Q2.
Read More >>
