Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 531: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it is the intention of the implementation of the WEEE directive that goods, such as electric toothbrushes and children's battery-powered toys, will be subject to the recycling charge in the same way that large white goods are charged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26280/05]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 533: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the structure of charges for the new recycling levy on electrical and other goods; the basis of calculation for each charge; the additional facilities for recycling of electrical goods which have been established; the legal obligations of retailers who collect this levy; the expected revenue for 2005 and the way in which it will be used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26304/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 531 and 533 together.

The EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE, required each member state to introduce regulations providing for a producer funded take-back scheme for consumers of end-of-life equipment from 13 August 2005. This directive covers a wide range of equipment from large business equipment, such as large refrigeration units, down to the smallest of consumer products such as pocket calculators and the like.

Under the terms of the directive the funding of such take-back schemes is a producer responsibility. The directive also requires the achievement by member states of specified targets for recovery, reuse and recycling by producers of different classes of WEEE.

A fundamental aim of the directive is to ensure that the cost of recycling electronic and electrical equipment is built into the product price in the same way as the raw material costs of steel and plastic etc., manufacturing, distribution and sale. However, the directive also recognises that, for a number of years to come, a significant proportion of the waste arising in this area will be what is termed "historic WEEE", namely products which were originally sold before the directive came into effect. Current producers must bear the cost of recycling this waste regardless of the identity of the original producer. Under the directive, producers are allowed, for a transitional period of eight years — ten years for large household appliances — to show purchasers, at the time of sale of new products, the costs of collection, treatment and disposal of historic WEEE in an environmentally sound manner, by means of visible environmental management costs or EMCs.

The Waste Management (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Regulations 2005 which fully transpose the WEEE directive in Ireland were introduced following two public consultations. The first of these followed publication of the WEEE task force report in April 2004, and the second followed publication of draft regulations in April 2005. Extensive discussion took place with representatives of producers, importers and retailers of electrical and electronic goods in Ireland. While there were varying opinions on how the provisions in relation to the historic waste should operate, the majority view among the industry, for reasons of fuller transparency and greater accountability, favoured a system of visible EMCs in the manner which has been provided for under the regulations. The design of the new system assures the public that the moneys collected for recycling are actually assigned for recycling activity and are not diverted elsewhere. It also ensures traceability and financial accountability and, by informing the public in an open way, ensures that profiteering is prevented.

Visible EMCs are designed solely to cover the cost of recycling of WEEE and none of the revenue involved is handled by the Government. The WEEE Register Society will monitor the implementation of the scheme and adjust the visible environmental management costs periodically to ensure that the not-for-profit principle is observed and that the visible environmental management costs only covers the costs incurred in the environmentally sound management of WEEE.

The EMCs which have been validated by the WEEE Register Society are set out in the following table. The EMC for electric toothbrushes has been set at €1, and for toys at a zero rate.

Prices generally are falling in the electrical and electronic sectors and that this trend is expected to continue. Even in areas where there are price pressures due to low margins and high recycling costs, particularly the white goods area, consumers are benefiting now under the WEEE directive by availing of free recycling services which did not exist before the 13 August. Visible EMCs are input costs and how these are dealt with in the pricing of products is part of the normal negotiations between producer and retailer To put the overall impact of the WEEE directive in context, it is estimated that the total cost of recycling waste equipment under the new scheme is around €14 million in an industry of in excess of €1.4 billion annually. Having regard to this, the overall impact on the electric and electronic sector is likely to be negligible. The recycling services operated under the scheme are now being utilised by an increasing number of consumers at a considerable saving to them compared to previous waste disposal costs. There are currently 64 civic amenity sites in operation compared with only 28 in 1995. Additional recycling infrastructure is currently being put in place, and proposals for further facilities are being considered for funding.

In addition to producers, retailers of electrical and electronic goods also have responsibilities under the directive. Retailers are obliged to take back at least free of charge household WEEE on a one-for-one basis, namely replacing the equipment of similar type or fulfilling the sale function. Customers have 15 days to return a corresponding piece of obsolete equipment. Retailers delivering large appliances are obliged to take the obsolete equipment back immediately, if available for collection for example disconnected from utilities etc. If the obsolete appliance is not available for immediate collection, the customer has 30 days to return it to the retailer.

The WEEE directive allows for exemptions from the normal waste permitting requirements for the storage and transport of WEEE. A modified permitting regime is operating under which retailers are required to register their premises with their local authority namely a county or city council. This registration system is straightforward, with retailers required to complete and sign a form undertaking to comply with general binding rules on the environmentally sound management of WEEE and forward this with a small fee of €20 to their local authority. Local authorities may only accept WEEE from retailers who are registered. Subject to certain conditions, retailers who have registered with local authorities are permitted to deposit household WEEE at civic amenity sites operated by or on behalf of local authorities free of charge.

Electric and electronic goods have been identified internationally as a problematic and potentially hazardous waste stream. Ireland has moved quickly in support of EU co-ordinated action in this area. While there has been criticism in this House in the past over delays in transposing EU directives, we can take pride that Ireland is one of only a small number of member states which have fully implemented this directive by the due date.