Many of you are no doubt aware that the current Distributor Take-back Scheme (DTS) phase 4 is coming to an end on 31 December 2019. A proposal has been made to Defra to implement a fifth phase of the DTS to run for 2 years (1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2021), while the Government undertakes a review of the UK WEEE Regulations.
Due to the General Election on 12 December 2019, it is unlikely that the current Secretary of State for the Environment will confirm if the DTS will continue prior to this date. We will likely have to wait until the new Secretary of State is appointed following the results of the election.
The proposal made to Defra requests that all retailers have a grace period until 31 March 2020 to either re-register if the DTS is approved, or implement their take-back system without any enforcement action taken against them during this period for non-compliance. This has also been discussed with the enforcement body the Office of Product Safety & Standards, but is of course still subject to approval.
What happens if DTS isn’t renewed?
If the DTS is not approved for renewal, the default position under the current WEEE Regulations requires all distributors of EEE to offer take-back to their customers of B2C (inc dual-use) equipment on a one-for-one like-for-like basis at point of sale from 1 January 2020.
How Valpak can help
If you would like to arrange a collection of WEEE, or if you would like any guidance on how these potential changes may affect you, please contact the team at [email protected]
Alternatively, we have produced a Customer Returns e-guide, which contains some useful information and we’re also hosting a webinar called “The future of DTS and WEEE collection” to discuss alternative options for retailers.
