Confusion reigns over WEEE responsibilities

Channel players still facing growing uncertainty over waste directive as deadline draws nearer

Channel players still facing growing uncertainty over waste directive as deadline draws nearer

With less than six months to go before the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive comes into force, confusion is growing among channel players over responsibility.

Barry Holland, director of consultancy WEEE Audit, said: “A lot of resellers do not know what their responsibilities are under the WEEE directive. It is only the big guys with compliance officers on their payroll that are aware.”

To comply with the directive, resellers need to have take-back policies in place by January 2006, warned Holland.

“Resellers should start putting the wheels in motion now. Under the directive, if a customer buys a desktop PC and then wants to buy an upgrade, the reseller has to take the old one back. Resellers could end up with stockrooms full of old PCs, so a smart reseller should set up a take-back agreement now with its suppliers,” he said.

Holland’s message to resellers is “convince your suppliers to do all they can”. However, Jon Godfrey, managing director of Lifecycle Services, said resellers should not be rushing into complying with the directive.

“Resellers cannot comply with the directive because it hasn’t gone through parliament yet and been turned into a law. There is a lot of information on the Department of Trade and Industry web site, but it is only guidance, not law. By the time the directive gets passed in parliament, which might not even happen by the implementation date of January 2006, the guidance could change,” Godfrey warned.

“If resellers and manufacturers start making expensive decisions based purely on the guidance then they could come unstuck. I’d advise them to wait until there is some clarity from the government as to what is expected of them. They can prepare and be aware of the directive, but should not put procedures in place just yet.”