Distributor Take back Scheme coming to an end: Is your business prepared for in store take back?

If you listened to our webinar on the future of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Distributor Take back Scheme (DTS) back in December, you will be aware that there was a lot of uncertainty around the scheme’s future, which was not helped by parliament being suspended due to the forthcoming election.

Distributor Take back Scheme – Limited extension

Just before Christmas, a decision was made to approve an extension and for DTS phase 5 to be implemented. Has this eased Distributor concerns or rather just kicked the can down the road?

For many Distributors (those in bands A and B) phase 5 will end on 31 December 2020, which will mean that from 1 January 2021 those business will be expected to offer instore takeback of waste electrical and electronic equipment on a like for like basis.

Risks of handling waste electronics in stores

Below, I have outlined some of the risks involved in handling WEEE in stores:

• Health and safety consideration with handling and storage. Your staff will likely be involved in the handling of waste goods, which comes with various health and safety concerns. Storing the material is another area of concern. Retail space is precious and having to take back waste goods means allocated storage space would be required
• Duty of Care considerations. When stores start to handle waste, they will have to meet requirements of Duty of Care Regulations. The business will need to know:
  • who is collecting the waste?
  • where the waste is going
  • if the waste management supplier has the correct paperwork in place
  • if the waste is hazardous. If it is, consignment notes will be required
  • permitting issues. Businesses will need to check if they are able to store the types and level of waste on site

Also, variations exist around waste handling and paperwork in devolved administrations, which businesses would need to keep on top of.

Start planning

In short, the changes to the DTS are going to be far reaching for retailers and they will need to start formulating plans to ensure they are in line with the changes coming into effect from 1 January 2021 onwards.

Valpak’s WEEE and Batteries Collection Schemes

Valpak’s Waste Management department can help your business to plan for imminent take back requirements. We also offer a nationwide WEEE collection service and free batteries collection service, which can support your business once these changes take effect.

Our first class service provides a portfolio of approved contractors, consolidated monthly reporting and a single point of contact that ensures all the legal aspects of customer collection requirements are met.

Contact us

If you would like help or guidance, please feel free to email me for a free consultation or call 01789 208 715.