Sheila McKinley
Head of Producer Responsibility Unit
Waste Management Division
DEFRA
7/F9 Ashdown House
123 Victoria Street,
London, SW1E 6DE

24 July 2003

Dear Ms McKinley,

WEEE DIRECTIVE: FUTURE OF THE PRINTER CARTRIDGE RECYCLING INDUSTRY

I am writing to you on a matter of some concern regarding the UK's implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive), which is due to be implemented in the UK by August 2004.

The Directive has been designed to reduce the amount of waste disposed of in landfills and incinerators by establishing separate collection and recycling systems for such waste. A primary objective, therefore, is to promote recycling.

I understand that the Government is currently considering the directory of goods to which the WEEE Directive will apply. The UK Cartridge Recycling Association (UKCRA) has brought to my attention that the Government plans to exclude consumable goods used within electric or electronic equipment from the directory. Consumable goods, in this instance, include printer cartridges which would be exempted.

Excluding printer cartridges from the directory would mean that manufacturers would have no responsibility to ensure that printer cartridges are diverted from landfill sites and incinerators. I understand that, should the Government make this decision, the industry is poised to fit inkjet cartridges with 'smart chips' which would prevent their recycling and reuse.

Over 30 per cent of printer cartridges in the UK are currently recycled. Excluding them from the directory will not only mean that 70% of cartridges continue to be landfilled or incinerated, but that potentially 100% will be landfilled or incinerated. UKCRA predicts that this would also effectively destroy the developing cartridge recycling industry in three years.

Is the Government aware of the implications of this decision? The UK currently produces 28 million tonnes of municipal waste every year - 83 per cent of which ends up in landfill. Under EU legislation, the UK is bound to divert over 55 per cent of its waste from landfill by 2020. This is an opportunity to assist meeting that target.

Inkjet cartridges should be dealt with in the same way as any other electrical waste - to support the UK's recycling industry, reduce waste and to protect our environment. I call upon you, therefore, to classify printer cartridges as electronic waste.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to your early reply.

Yours sincerely,

Jean Lambert MEP
London, Green Party

cc

Margaret Becket MP, Secretary of State

Elliot Morley MP, Minister for Environment