Waste electrical and electronic equipment reform consultation: equalities impact assessment

Provisions within the review of UK producer responsibility systems for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)

Our policy proposals for WEEE EPR are set out in two documents: a consultation on firm policy proposals, accompanied by a suite of impact assessments; and a Call for Evidence on policy options which we intend to develop further.

The key policy proposals set out in the consultation document are:

• To require producers to fund a kerbside collection for WEEE for households.
• To require online sellers and marketplaces to provide takeback options for WEEE for consumers, and for physical retailers to offer increased in-store take back options.
• To require online sellers and marketplaces to contribute to financial obligations placed on EEE producers.
• To create a new WEEE category for vapes/e-cigarettes.
• Establishment of a WEEE EPR Scheme Administrator and governance requirements including performance indicators

The proposals that we are seeking to gather more evidence on, set out in the accompanying Call for Evidence are:

• To require producers to cover the full net costs for managing their products when they become waste (in addition to kerbside collections for small and large WEEE as per the consultation proposals above).
• That the current methodology for how costs are allocated for the collection and treatment of household WEEE should be reviewed.
• That methodologies for encouraging the prevention, and increasing reuse of, unwanted EEE through producer fees is considered/investigated.
• That eco-modulation approaches are considered to support a move towards a circular economy through improved product design and business models.
• To consider approaches to increase collection of business WEEE.
• To consider options to support improvement of treatment standards.

While the proposed policy proposals in both the consultation and the Call for Evidence are focused on producers rather than individuals, they have the potential to impact on individuals and households.

This reform of WEEE PR is considered a strategic decision, requiring the completion of a number of impact assessments including an Equalities Impact Assessment.

We have also produced a partial Business Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment (FSDA) and Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) which sit alongside the Consultation document and its more detailed proposals.

At this stage, the Call for Evidence document asks for input and additional evidence to allow further development and refinement of the potential policy proposals. This is ahead of a future consultation on formal UK-wide proposals which will include an updated BRIA and other impact assessments.