UK proposes WEEE regime shake-up

United Kingdom – The UK is to map flows of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in the future in the hope that this will encourage companies to secure more rare earth metals. Government plans also extend to multiple demonstration projects and to a significant revamp of the country’s WEEE regime.

According to the UK environment department (DEFRA), which recently published a resource security strategy, much can be gained from ensuring that materials from old equipment are captured more effectively. It also believes that the country’s WEEE regime should be rigorously revised: at present, parties are required to sign up to schemes that collect various types of WEEE on their behalf but this approach gives the industry very little incentive to improve the recyclability of their products, says DEFRA.

For more information, visit: www.defra.gov.uk