From this date, hazardous waste being disposed of in landfill sites will have to meet new standards, and this will impact on the disposal of some everyday household and business items such as computer monitors, televisions and fluorescent tubes. These have now been classified as hazardous.
This means that small businesses – and even some larger ones – will now find themselves producing hazardous waste for the first time, and will have to be able to describe exactly what their waste contains, so that it can be properly and safely disposed of.
Ben Bradshaw, Minister for Local Environment Quality warned:
“It is essential that businesses act now. With many businesses finding themselves hazardous waste producers for the first time, the full implications of the new controls may not yet be fully appreciated”.
The new rules, called the Hazardous Waste Regulations, will come into force shortly before an EU law requiring businesses to recycle their old IT and telecoms equipment is brought into force is implemented.
The Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE Directive) sets criteria for the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment. It is due to come into force in August 2005, for the original 15 Member States, and in August 2007 for the 10 new Member States.
Member States were supposed to have implementing legislation for both Directives in place by August 2004, but only Greece managed to comply. The UK missed the deadline, blaming the delay on difficulties in publishing the draft regulations and guidance notes, and in its latest advisory, promised to implement the Directive by January 2006.
A further EU law, the Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS Directive) facilitates the dismantling and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment by restricting the use of hazardous substances used in their manufacture. It is due to be in force from 1st July 2006.
The Government has set up a new web site to provide further information for businesses.
