17Jul

Commons’ committee to look at WEEE issues

Posted on 17th July, 2019

The House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee is launching an inquiry into the UK’s waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) sector – including whether current targets can be achieved.

The Committee will examine challenges faced by producer compliance schemes in meeting targets, which have been missed in the UK in consecutive years. It is chaired by the Labour MP Mary Creagh.

EAC’s inquiry, which is titled ‘Electronic waste and the Circular Economy’ will also look into steps being taken to move towards a greater sustainability for electronic goods. Commenting on the inquiry, Mrs Creagh called for radical action to be taken to tackle the e-waste issue.

She said: “Our old fridges, freezers, computers, TVs, kettles and mobile phones are piling up in a ‘tsunami of e-waste’.

“New phone launches, cheaper goods, and built-in obsolescence have contributed to the growth of electronic waste in recent years.” She added: “Our attitude to e-waste is unsustainable and the need for radical action clear. We will be investigating the UK’s e-waste industry and looking at how we can create a circular economy for electronic goods.”

Other topics the Committee is looking for responses to include how the secondary market for electrical goods can be improved and ways in which the UK government can help prevent the export of WEEE to the developing world.