Online marketplaces must also help cover the costs of cleaning up waste electricals under new UK Government rules.
The new regulations, which cover electricals such as washing machines, radios and vacuum cleaners, will ensure a level playing field for UK retailers, according to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).
Until now, UK-based companies covered the costs for the collection and processing of electrical waste, which placed them at a disadvantage compared to their online rivals based abroad.
However, the new system will ensure they help pay for dealing with broken electrical items, ensuring the harmful waste is collected and recycled, rather than fly-tipped by individuals into the environment.
Under the new rules, online marketplaces will need to register with the Environment Agency and report data on sales made by their overseas sellers in the UK, with the data used to calculate the amount recycling companies must finance annually.
In addition, a new category of electrical equipment for vapes has been introduced to ensure the costs of their collection and treatment fall fairly on those who produce them.
Vapes contain valuable and critical materials such as lithium and copper and industry research from Material Focus suggests the amount of vapes thrown away each year could instead power more than 10,000 electric vehicles (EVs.)
The funds generated following the new regulations will also improve the collection and treatment of waste items collected by local authorities and returned to retailers.
“Ensuring online marketplaces pay their share for managing the cost of the electrical waste they generate will increase recycling and level the playing field for UK-based retailers, boosting growth and making the system fairer through our Plan for Change.”
Electrical waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, with Material Focus suggesting more than 100,000 tonnes of electricals, like irons and microwaves, are binned across the UK every year.
‘Positive change’
Online retailers welcomed the latest move, with Currys suggesting this “positive change” is important to ensure the safe disposal of electronic waste is “shared fairly”.
“As well as making online marketplaces pay for the waste they create, we should be going further to set stretch targets and incentivise investment in cleaning it up too. We believe with the right skills and infrastructure in place, the UK can build a thriving circular economy – enabling lasting and sustainable change.”
“Retailers play important role in reducing waste”
John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon added: “We welcome the Government’s focus in this critical area and look forward to continuing our work with the Circular Economy Taskforce to drive further innovation, supporting the UK’s transition to a more circular economy.
“We believe retailers have an important role to play in reducing waste, which is why we prioritise reselling, refurbishing, donating or recycling products wherever possible.”
Online marketplaces must now pay for UK electrical waste costs appeared first on Energy Live News.