Channel players facing WEEE compliance race

Channel players have just 10 days left to sign up to an approved Producer Compliance Scheme (PCS) or face penalties under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive.

As revealed by CRN, the Environment Agency (EA) published its final list of approved schemes last week (CRN Online, 1 March).

It urged companies that produce, rebrand or import electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), known as ‘producers’, to sign up with one of the 37 approved PCSs by 15 March. Companies that miss the deadline will fail to comply with the first WEEE compliance period, which will run from 1 July until 31 December this year. Each subsequent compliance period will run from 1 January to 31 December thereafter.

Bob Mead, WEEE project manager at the EA, said: “A PCS will help producers meet the requirements of the regulations by collecting and recycling products on their behalf.”

Producers will need to pay a registration fee to the compliance scheme they would like to join and supply data on how much EEE they placed on the market in 2006.

Mick Thomas, health and safety, quality and environment manager at PC builder Evesham, has been looking at the compliance schemes available.

“This week I have to present my findings to the board and commit the company to between £40,000 and £70,000, which is what it is likely to cost us for the first compliance period. I don’t feel well informed at all, but we have to join a PCS by 15 March so we have got to make decisions this week really.”

However, Keith Warburton, chief executive of the Professional Computing Association, said: “A lot of channel players still don’t realise they are [classed as] producers.”

For the full list of PCSs, click here.