Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Policy Statement
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Policy Statement
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE), EU Directive 2002/96/EC, were adopted into UK law on 2nd January 2007 with full implementation from 1st July 2007. These regulations require that electrical and electronic equipment, when being disposed of at the end of its useful life in an EU Member State, must be recycled and/or disposed of in accordance with the EU directive as it is applied in local laws of that State. These regulations go further by making the manufacturer or importer (the producer) of the goods responsible for their disposal/recycling in the correct manner.
Although there are exemptions permitted within the regulations, particularly pertaining to contaminated and unsafe items, many of Labcold's products potentially fall within the scope of EU 2002/96/EC. Labcold recognises and accepts its obligations and has taken the following steps to ensure compliance:
Costs and Pricing
Compliance with these new regulations comes at a cost that must, inevitably, be borne by the consumer.
Labcold will be, therefore, forced to apply a disposal surcharge to all qualifying orders unless the purchaser is willing to accept the liability for disposal and make alternative arrangements as is specifically proposed in the legislation. Indications from customers are that they are likely to find the constraints of following the varying requirements and timescales of a number of different compliance schemes more costly to administer than to make their own arrangements. This will be particularly the case with refrigerated devices which class as hazardous waste. To this end Labcold will, as standard, issue quotations and pricing excluding any disposal surcharges to prevent customers being overcharged by paying for disposal twice. Customers who do not wish to accept responsibility for disposal must advise Labcold at, or prior to, order placement. Failure to do so will mean that the customer is deemed to have accepted disposal responsibility, however Labcold will still be happy to make the arrangements on a chargeable, not-for-profit basis.
Labelling
Liable products manufactured by Labcold in compliance with UK Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 3289 (the UK law) feature the approved crossed out wheeled bin symbol clearly marked on the serial number plate. Additionally printed information is provided in the instruction manual, or an accompanying slip, outlining the significance of the symbol.Product Design
Labcold recognises the benefit to the environment of this legislation and is designing products to allow more recycling and less adverse environmental impact.Registration
Labcold is registered as a producer with the UK Environment Agency.Registration number: WEE/FG0048TZ
Where a Labcold product is supplied in a EU member State other than the UK the local importer or distributor will have made the equivalent registration according to local requirements.
Disposal Service
Labcold is a member of the UK's largest group compliance scheme, B2B Compliance, who are a not-for-profit group scheme specialising in scientific and medical items. B2B Compliance will undertake disposal of Labcold products in the UK on our behalf in accordance with the latest requirements and in the most environmentally efficient manner.Further details of this service can be found in our Procedures document .
Appointed Compliance Contractor
B2B ComplianceRegistration number: 5130501
Scheme approval No: WEEE/MP3338PT/SCH
Website: www.b2bcompliance.org.uk
Telephone: 01691 676124
Customers outside the UK should contact their supplier for further information on the arrangements in place for their own country.
For queries about WEEE please email our support desk at: weee@labcold.com