EMC, The Fee to Help Recycle Small WEEE
June 26, 2024
With the help of DID Electrical and Expert Electrical, WEEE Ireland as part of the ECOSWEEE European consortium are piloting a project to educate about takeback of recycling small WEEE products, through in-store collateral, and an in-store survey.
Their staff will be available to assist with any queries that the consumer may have relating to free takeback of small WEEE in store.
More information on free electrical recycling at DID can be found here and at Expert Electrical here.
Currently there are visible fees on large items, such as Fridge Freezers, TVs and White Goods, which can be seen in store on online, when purchasing.
This project aims to familiarise the consumer that there are recycling environmental management costs contained in all electrical equipment including small household appliances such as toasters, coffee machines and kettles at the time of purchase.
These costs contribute to extensive takeback and recycling and mean all small WEEE can be recycled, both instore and at a network of collection points nationwide at no additional cost.
Past research into this shows:
If the visible fee was shown, 80% of consumers say they would be more willing to recycle with just 8% less willing
88% of consumers would prefer the recycling fee is shown clearly in the pricing
Just 3% of consumers would be unhappy having the fee visible, whereas 68% would feel happier and reassured
If no visible fee is displayed on electronic equipment, just 27% will know a recycling contribution is being made
WEEE and batteries containing hazardous substances give rise to serious environmental concerns if not sustainably managed. Every product that is not collected for reuse or de-polluted and recycled represents a wasted opportunity in terms of loss of natural resources and energy, a decreasing supply of (critical and/or valuable) materials to feed into manufacturing, which in turn puts the sector’s resilience, the EU economy’s autonomy and jobs in jeopardy.
As of the 1st of April 2023, the WEEE forum along with other stakeholders commenced the LIFE – Enhancing Collection of Small W/EEE and batteries (LIFE-ECOSWEEE) project.
With the help of 8 member states, the project aims to practically test several methods and incentives to increase the collection rate of small WEEE and portable batteries. More information about ECOSWEEE can be found here.
WEEE Ireland as an active Member of the WEEE Forum has agreed to take part in this project and hopes to collect data to measure the impact of recycling fee communications to consumers on Small WEEE takeback in retail stores across Ireland.
Funded by the EU’s LIFE programme, the LIFE – Enhancing Collection of Small W/EEE and batteries (LIFE-ECOSWEEE) project will test, through practical pilots, several methods, and incentives to increase the collection rate of small WEEE and portable batteries.
EMC, the fee to help recycle small WEEE. This project aims to raise awareness of environmental management costs and the free takeback for recycling available for WEEE, including small appliances in Irish electrical retail stores. We hope it will encourage more people to bring e-waste back for recycling when shopping or browsing for new products.
This project is supported by WEEE Ireland as part of the ECOSWEEE Consortium Project investigating ways to enhance the collection of small W/EEE and batteries.
For more information visit www.weeeireland.ie and www.ecosweee-life.eu