WEEE and RoHS – A Challenge for SMEs Leigh Holloway

Current Status of WEEE and RoHS  Third and final UK consultation closed 29 th October 2004  UK legislation expected late 2004 – early 2005  At this time 13 th August is still the current start date for WEEE obligations  Producer registration due to commence early 2005  WEEE compliance schemes are appearing  RoHS (and exemptions) is already being reviewed  RoHS is becoming a worldwide rather than EU issue

What are the issues?  Awareness (or lack of it)  DTI consultations?  (Mis)understanding  Disbelief  Interpretation  Lack of resources  Lack of technical expertise (RoHS)

Awareness?  A considerable number of SMEs are still unaware of the Directives  Those that are aware do not fully understand what it means for them  There is misunderstanding of the way that WEEE will work

‘Producer’  Confusion over what constitutes a producer with the UK and the rest of Europe  Lack of understanding of responsibilities of importers  Business users of WEEE seem to be unaware of their responsibilities

Costs  WEEE – up to £450M per annum  Some companies are trying to budget for WEEE but how do they do it?  Unclear how these will be passed along the supply chain – if at all  WEEE costs will probably reflect market share  Visible fees on household equipment?  Financial guarantees – many companies seem to have missed this one

Recycling  Some SMEs think they will have to get their own products back  Compliance schemes will be the way most companies will meet their recycling targets  It will simplify administration for small companies  New business opportunities are emerging

RoHS  Where are RoHS materials currently used?  How do you test for them?  What replacements are available?  Who is responsible for compliance?  How will it be policed?  Lead free soldering is the focus of much work  Other issues are being ignored or missed

What do SME’s need to do?  Make sure they are fully aware of the legislation  Understand the implications for their business (registration, finances, compliance reporting)  Put systems into place that ensure information is passed to suppliers and customers

Help for SMEs  Envirowise Guides GG415 & GG416  Helpline & Design Track Visits  WEEE and RoHS Compliance Toolkit – eco3  Large companies have done a lot of work on WEEE and RoHS - information is out there