HW Martin Waste unveils WEEE compliance scheme

The UK has its first new WEEE producer compliance scheme for more than a decade.

HW Martin Waste, based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, says that its Verda Compliance Services has secured regulatory approval for the 2027 compliance year. Following approvals from both the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Verda will become operational from 1 January 2027.

The approval, the first since 2015, is said to represent a significant development for the UK WEEE compliance market. Verda has been developed by HW Martin Waste to combine specialist producer-responsibility expertise with the operational experience and infrastructure of an established waste and resource management businesses.

‘Major milestone’

HW Martin Waste already manages WEEE across a substantial network of designated collection facilities (DCFs), giving the Verda team experience of the practical challenges faced by local authorities, collection sites, treatment partners and compliance schemes.

Dave Allen, head of producer responsibility at HW Martin Waste, says: ‘Securing approval for Verda is a major milestone for us but becoming the first new WEEE producer compliance scheme to be approved in more than a decade makes it particularly significant.

‘Between the team, we have extensive experience of running producer compliance schemes, managing DCF networks, working with local authorities and producers, procuring

WEEE evidence and working directly with AATFs and the wider treatment market. That experience has heavily influenced how Verda has been designed.’

Strong relationships

The development of Verda is being led by Allen alongside scheme administrator Damien Snape and director Phil Darwin. Allen adds: ‘Our intention is to build Verda carefully and sustainably, establishing long-term relationships with producers, local authorities and treatment partners rather than simply pursuing scale for its own sake.’

Ahead of becoming operational, the scheme will go into a final mobilisation programme including producer onboarding, systems readiness, evidence and treatment arrangements, and development of its network of operational partners.

‘The WEEE system works best when producers, schemes, local authorities, collectors and treatment operators work together. One of our priorities with Verda will be building strong relationships across that whole chain.’