Read up on some frequently asked questions regarding the WEEE Directive and how it affects you.
Answers provided by Ernest Magog, Chief Executive of Lumicom and Eddie Taylor, Chief Executive of Recolight.
As a buyer or specifier, what are my obligations under the WEEE Regulations?
None! For the good of the industry and the sustainability of our environment the lighting industry would strongly recommend and urge you to buy or specify lighting equipment (lamps and luminaires) from a producer (supplier) who can demonstrate that they are registered with an approved WEEE Compliance Scheme (preferably Recolight for Lamps and Lumicom for Luminaires). By doing so, you can be assured that at the end of the product’s life, it will not be wastefully disposed of to landfill or with other debris. As a valuable resource, it will be converted into the basic raw materials of ferrous, non-ferrous, glass and plastic and will be re-used in manufacturing. One way of demonstrating your support of the WEEE legislation would be to add something along the lines of the following on your specifications:
“The producers of the lamps and luminaires to be installed, must be members of a WEEE Compliance Scheme approved by and registered with the Environment Agency”.
What is the status of the WEEE Regulations and what do they cover?
The WEEE Regulations were enacted in December 2006, with the aim of reducing the wasteful disposal of electrical and electronic equipment into landfill or incineration. The Regulations place responsibility on the producer (or agent) to finance the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of electrical and electronic equipment.
When does it come into force?
As from 1 April 2007 all electrical and electronic equipment put on the UK market, should be marked with the crossed wheeled bin recycling symbol.
What type of lighting does it include?
Under the WEEE Regulations only non household luminaires and gas discharge lamps fall under this category. Please visit www.lumicom.co.uk and www.recolight.co.uk for further information on products in scope.
Who is responsible for disposing of an end-of-life lighting products?
As from 1st July 2007, the producer (and sometimes the user) is ultimately responsible for the disposal of the end of life products. However, due to the scale and logistics involved, the Government are encouraging the creation of WEEE compliance schemes, which individual producers join to discharge their obligations, and these schemes then effectively manage the disposal of an end of life product. The lighting industry proposes to set up two such compliance schemes; Lumicom for non-household luminaires, and Recolight for gas discharge lamps..
Lumicom – delivering the lighting industry’s solution
The Lighting Industry Federation have established Lumicom, as a not for profit company to serve the industry’s WEEE needs by establishing the infrastructure for the management of end of life luminaires and ensure its members legal obligations are fully discharged, with good service. It will monitor the weight of equipment placed on the market, against the weight of waste collected and processed and will ensure that the best techniques are used at all stages of disposal. It is primarily funded by a recycling cost payable to Lumicom by its member companies to cover the costs of recycling the end-of-life lamps that are returned for processing to the scheme.
Recolight – WEEE Compliance for gas discharge lamps:
Recolight has been formed by the lamp manufacturers, as a not-for-profit company, for the express purpose of ensuring that the WEEE legal obligations of its producer members are fully discharged in a cost effective way, for the best interest of all the stakeholders in the industry. It is open to any producer (as defined by the WEEE Regulations) to join to discharge their WEEE legal obligations, and on equal terms to all. The costs of recycling are paid for by the producer members based on a charge per lamp sold.
How do I know if a producer belongs to a compliance scheme?
All Producers who are registered as a Producer under the WEEE Regulations will be issued with a WEEE Registration number and we recommend that you ask for confirmation of that number from prospective suppliers. In addition members of both the Recolight and Lumicom schemes will be encouraged to include the scheme logos on all literature and company stationery to ensure market awareness.
If you are in any doubt please ask your approved suppliers to confirm the details of the compliance scheme they are members of and their WEEE registration number.
How do I dispose of my end–of-life lighting products?
If the Producer concerned belongs to Lumicom or Recolight it could not be easier. Both schemes are setting up appropriate nationwide networks to provide facilities for the depositing of end-of-life products and the subsequent transporting of them to treatment plants. Following establishment of the full process from 1st July 2007 details will be available on the websites of both Lumicom and Recolight about how to best utilise the facilities available to for your particular requirements.
In the case of Luminaires, where there is no replacement product involved, the User is responsible for paying the cost of collection and disposal. If there is a replacement product, supplied by a Lumicom producer member, then Lumicom will pay the cost of disposal.
Commitment to sustainability
Approximately 70,000 tonnes of professional lighting equipment are placed on the market each year. If all of it was processed in the spirit of the WEEE Regulations, it would produce in the order of 25,000 tonnes of steel, 11,000 tonnes of aluminium, 20,000 tonnes of glass, and 10,500 tonnes of plastic, all of which can be re-used in various forms in manufacturing.
By requiring that all suppliers demonstrate that the lighting products they supply are coming from a WEEE registered producer, you will be playing your part in ensuring that valuable resources are not wasted. In the case of producer members of Lumicom and Recolight, one point of evidence they will be able to display will be the use of the following logos:
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