These questions relate primarily to the DTS in phase 1
Q1. What are my compliance options as a retailer?
A. Retailers, known as distributors in the waste electrical and electronic equipment
(WEEE) regulations, of household electrical or electronic equipment (EEE) have to
ensure that WEEE from private households can be returned free of charge for recycling.
Distributors have two options in order to comply with their legal obligations:
offer free in store take back
or
join the Distributor Take Back Scheme (DTS)
Q2. What is free in store take back?
A. Retailers who have not joined the DTS have to ensure that (WEEE) from private
households can be returned to them free of charge, on a one-to-one basis. This is
providing that the WEEE returned is of equivalent type to, and has fulfilled the
same function as the new EEE that is purchased.
For example, an old video player can be returned when purchasing a new DVD player,
regardless of the brand and where the old one was originally purchased.
Retailers taking back WEEE must return it for recycling by contacting a producer
compliance scheme, and delivering it to them for treatment.
Q3. What is the Distributor Take Back Scheme (DTS)?
A. Valpak operates the DTS, which meets the obligations of retailers, without
the need to offer in store take back. Instead of offering free in store back, retailers
will make a financial contribution to the DTS, which will be used to assist in the
development of WEEE collection facilities throughout the UK. Over 1,100 civic amenity
(CA) sites have been upgraded to Designated Collection Facilities (DCFs) where members
of the public can deposit their WEEE. Distributors joining the DTS will meet their
take back obligations for the following three years, and therefore will not be required
to offer any form of free take back of WEEE until at least 2010.
Q4. How much does the DTS cost to join?
A. Distributors who sell a relatively small quantity of EEE will pay a fixed
fee determined by their sales in the previous calendar year. These fees are detailed
in the table below:
|
Total Sales Value of electrical
products between |
Cost (fee payable)
|
| Band A Retailer |
Greater than £1.5m |
'Per unit' fee (below) |
| Band B Retailer |
£100,000 and £1.5m |
£1500 |
| Band C Retailer |
£0 and £100,000 |
£400 |
Retailers who sell in excess of £1.5m of EEE will pay a fee that is proportional
to the number of units that they sold in the previous calendar year. The fees payable
to join the DTS are detailed in the table below:
|
WEEE category |
Cost per unit sold (£)
|
| Skip 1 (Refrigeration) |
1b |
1.518240857 |
| Skip 2 (White non-fridge) |
1a |
0.622337801 |
| Skip 3 (CRT) |
4b, 3b |
0.550562575 |
| Skip 4 (Mixed) |
2a, 3a, 4a, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
0.020315602 |
| Skip 5 (Lighting) |
5 |
0.008866324 |
Q5. What do I need to do to become a member of the Distributor Take Back Scheme
(DTS)?
A. You will need to register your company details, provide your annual turnover,
and your sales value of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). If your sales
value of EEE exceeds £1.5m you will need to supply further details regarding the
number of EEE units sold.
Q6. When do I need to register to join the Distributor Take Back Scheme (DTS)?
A. There is no time limit attached to joining the DTS, although you are not a
member until you have paid your invoice. All retailers who are not a member of the
DTS are required to offer in store take back.
Q7. If I join the Distributor Take Back Scheme (DTS) do I have to pay by debit
or credit card?
A. No, you can pay by cheque or by BACS as well.
Q8. How do I know my registration with the Distributor Take Back Scheme (DTS)
has been successful?
A. Once you have completed registration, you will be asked for payment. Once
Valpak have received payment, either by credit card, cheque or BACS you will be
emailed confirming your registration.
Q9. Can I charge customers for returning waste electrical and electronic equipment
(WEEE) to me?
A. No if you have not joined the Distributor Take Back Scheme (DTS) you must
provide means for your customers to return old electrical and electrical equipment
(EEE) to you free of charge, upon purchasing a new piece of EEE on a one for one,
like for like, basis.
Q10. Can I charge for collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment
(WEEE) on delivery?
A. Yes, if you are offering collection on delivery you can charge for the logistical
costs of the service. The only circumstance where you cannot charge is, if you are
not a DTS member and do not allow WEEE to be deposited at your premises or other
convenient collection point. In this instance you should not charge for collection.
You cannot charge your customer for the cost of treatment, a 'recycling fee'.
The cost of treatment of the item will be met by the producers.
Q11. If I am offering collection on delivery of waste electrical and electronic
equipment (WEEE), what do I do with the WEEE I collect?
A. Distributors have to ensure that any WEEE collected through either in store
take back, collection on delivery or any other means, is treated and disposed of
in an environmentally sound manner. Distributors are NOT allowed to dispose of collected
WEEE at Civic Amenity sites (unless the site allows commercial waste), regardless
of membership to the DTS. Instead distributors should contact a Producer Compliance
scheme and deliver the WEEE to them, to be treated at the cost of the producer.
It is likely that the Producer Compliance schemes will ask for the WEEE to be delivered
to an Approved and Accredited Treatment Facility (AATF), distributors will need
to fund the transport of WEEE to the AATF or location specified by the Producer
Compliance scheme.
A list of approved Producer Compliance schemes can be found at
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Q12. If I join the Distributor Take Back Scheme (DTS), how long am I exempt
from providing free in store take back?
A. By joining the DTS you will be exempt from having to offer in store take back
until January 2010.
Q13. I am a distributor with an annual electrical and electronic equipment
(EEE) sales of over £1.5 million and I am concerned that I will be one of only a
few larger distributors in the Distributor Take Back Scheme (DTS). Will I be required
to assume a disproportionate cost if this is the case?
A. The fees charged will not vary from those published at
www.valpak.co.uk/dts
Q14. What if I have no annual sales turnover of electrical and electronic
equipment (EEE) to declare (e.g. I am a new company)?
A. If you are unable to provide details of your annual turnover from EEE sales,
you will need to make a reasonable assumption in order to provide an estimate of
what you expect your annual turnover from EEE sales to be/have been. Please contact
Valpak at info@valpak.co.uk before beginning
the registration process.
Q15. What if I am giving electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) away as
a promotional gift?
A. Your annual turnover from EEE sales should be based on the value of equipment
you have supplied, not just that you have sold. Therefore you should assume a reasonable
sales value for the promotional items. If you are also required to provide information
regarding the number of items of EEE sold, promotional items should be included
with the number of units.
Q16. If I join the Distributor Take Back Scheme (DTS), how will I inform my
customers of where to take their waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)?
A. As a member of the DTS, distributors will have to inform their customers of
the availability of facilities for the return of WEEE. These are called the Consumer
Information Obligations (CIO'S). The DTS will assist its members in meeting their
CIO's through its recycle-more brand.
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