UK government may force online retailers to pick up e-waste from consumers
- Reference: 1614601807
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/03/01/the_government_may_force_online/
- Source link:
Although this would theoretically limit the amount of old kit sent to landfill, and thus the amount of raw materials that need to be extracted to produce new products, it would also put online retailers on the same footing as their bricks-and-mortar equivalents.
[1]
Traditional retailers – like Currys PC World and John Lewis – that sell over £100,000 of electrical equipment each year are [2]obligated to take back electrical waste from their customers, either in-store or through other means. Retailers without a physical presence escape this responsibility, although are asked to contribute in other (invariably smaller) means. While there are obvious environmental ramifications to this, the EAC fears the existing system has disadvantaged the already-struggling high street.
Attack of the cryptidiots: One wants Bitcoin-flush hard drive he threw out in 2013 back, the other lost USB stick password [3]READ MORE
[4]
Separately, the EAC mooted implementing a nationwide kerbside pick-up scheme that would allow consumers to discard of their old electronics without having to go to the local tip. Although some councils choose to provide this service (Liverpool, for example, runs a city-wide collection service called [5]Bulky Bob ), not all do.
There is some appetite within government to see this program expanded nationwide, with the cost borne by retailers, although it did raise concerns about efficacy. The government described council-run kerbside pick-up as “not always the optimal solution,” with manufacturers and retailers potentially better positioned to recycle obsolete kit than councils. An alternative suggestion would see retailers obligated to provide more collection points, in more convenient locations.
Need a new computer for homeschooling? You can do worse than a sub-£30 2007 MacBook off eBay [6]READ MORE
Recycling is preferable to landfill disposal, yet it’s almost always better to repair or [7]upgrade an older piece of kit , in order to extend its lifespan. With this in mind, the EAC proposed forcing vendors to slap products with an [8]iFixit-style repairability score based on the design, availability of spare parts, and access to repair documentation.
France has already adopted a similar program as part of a broader right-to-repair overhaul, with Apple adding the independently-ranked scores to its local website earlier today on different product pages. Here one for le [9]MacBook Air .
This, EAC argued, would incentivise vendors to build products with long-term repairability in mind. Further incentives could come in the form of reduced e-waste fees for those making fixable and upgradable hardware. Although UK government is planning to introduce a similar repairability score scheme for white goods and televisions later this year, it signalled a willingness to extend the program to a greater number of consumer tech products.
In a statement, the chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee, Philip Dunne MP, said: “Levelling the playing field for online giants and physical retailers in the take-back of e-waste is important if we are to cut down on the amount of e-waste disposed of incorrectly. We need to make urgent improvements to the reuse and recycling of such products, and I am pleased that the government has recognised the role online retailers and marketplaces should play in taking increased responsibility for the e-waste streams they help generate.
“It is also reassuring that the Environment Bill could pave the way for better labelling on the recyclability of products and informing consumers what components have been recycled. As the Bill’s passage through Parliament has been delayed, it may be some time until we see products on shelves giving this detail. It is important that the government keeps up the pace towards this goal,” he added.
Dunne expressed concern that Westminster had failed to address the committee’s recommendations on the recycling of precious metals from e-waste, which he said are vital to the country’s growing green tech sectors, and thus its transition to a zero-carbon economy.
“The government has failed to acknowledge the importance of extracting precious metals from old electronics, dismissing the Committee’s finding that weight-based targets are insufficient to ensure the extraction of many of these light metals. These metals, including tungsten and cobalt, are crucial in the manufacture of wind turbines and solar panels – and their continued supply is therefore vital to making net zero Britain a reality. But we are at serious risk of creating supply shortages if we fail to retrieve these rare materials from old devices,” he said.
These concerns were echoed by Tanya Sheridan, head of the Policy and Evidence team at the Royal Society of Chemistry.
“Although the government’s response includes some helpful plans on improved labelling and repairability, it falls short in several areas. We are disappointed it has rejected a recommendation for targets on the recovery of critical raw materials (CRMs) and retaining value from old electronics,” she said.
[10]
“Many of the materials in these – such as gold, tungsten, indium, lithium and cobalt – are used in electronics, but they are also particularly important to the UK’s low-carbon ambitions as they are crucial for use in wind turbines, solar panels and car batteries. It is therefore vital that we secure a sustainable future for these materials as a matter of urgency.” ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YD0dpoHoFRCZFkwO@pJuXgAAANQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://www.gov.uk/electricalwaste-producer-supplier-responsibilities
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/14/attack_of_the_cryptidiots/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YD0dpoHoFRCZFkwO@pJuXgAAANQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://liverpool.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/bulky-item-collection/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/16/need_a_new_computer_for/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/16/need_a_new_computer_for/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2019/12/17/ifixit_slaps_apples_pricey_mac_air_with_a_repairability_score_of_9/
[9] https://www.apple.com/fr/shop/buy-mac/macbook-air
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YD0dpoHoFRCZFkwO@pJuXgAAANQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
All well and good..
Just how can you see the likes of Amazon and responding to this? Most people simply don't take the stuff back to physical shop as it is.
The only winners I can see are the companies that gets to take the packaged up stuff from the end user and takes it to the "recycling centre", ie landfill in the UK or in a container to which ever country is currently easiest to illegally ship the stuff to.
E-Waste has always been a problem and will continue to increase as we generate ever more crap. The biggest problem is that much the stuff that is produced is too cheap and does not reflect that actual cost. Add to that the built-in obsolescence of things that are only a few years old and you can see why we are in such a mess.
Our local tip has some 20' containers for placing electronic items in. The one for flat panel is full of huge wall-sized things and I just cannot believe that they are all failed. If they have then it is bonkers and the manufactures should be hauled in and if they are not, just why are people constantly replacing perfectly good equipment. The only conclusions I can come up with:
Most don't care.
Most don't give a stuff about the environmental impact their tech has.
Having the newest/biggest is more important.
People have too much disposable income/credit.
A few genuinely believe the bullshit that the stuff is recycled responsibly.
Re: All well and good..
I'm actually surprised about the flat screens. My local tip has a special area for monitors/TVs/whitegoods where they try and repair and re-use anything thats worth it, as a lot of items are still very useable if a bit dated. Though I think this is run by some local group in conjunction with the council, so not sure how widespread it is.
Re: All well and good..
I agree that most people don't care, but this kind of issue was resolved a long time ago - get money back when you return an item - just like the old drinks bottles.
I think we can resolve both the waste and fixablity issues - by charging a set fee for electronics which is proportional to the size, expected lifespan and ease of repairing. For example if you charge £200 extra for a iPhone then you get that money back when you return it to the vendor that sold it. For large stuff like TV's you might end up paying an additional 100% of the purchase price because they generate so much waste.
At least charging upfront would solve the issues of dealing with companies that only exist for a few months or customers who can't be bothered to try to dispose of items sensibly.
Re: All well and good..
"Most don't care.
Most don't give a stuff about the environmental impact their tech has.
Having the newest/biggest is more important.
People have too much disposable income/credit."
You missed one..
Smart TVs are not so smart if the manufacturer fails to upgrade the software and viewers lose some of the inbuilt 'apps' / features they have gotten used to.
Managed to pass on a flat screen to a friend a couple of years ago but BBC iPlayer and YouTube had both ceased to function following tech changes at the source and no upgrade/patch from Sony..
Current TV is showing signs of falling behind as iPlayer works from the APPS section, but not from the TV's built-in catch-up feature... (National Panasonic, in case you were wondering)
Personally, I'm ready with a laptop or a Raspberry Pi to take over as and when the inevitable occurs - the other 90% of viewers are probably not ..
When forcing online retailers to pick up e-waste, there needs to be some clauses relating to ease of online submission. As an example of bad behaviour - I saw Amazon making a song and dance in a recent news article about how they already have a recycling program and will pick up e-waste from customers' houses.
"Ok - that sounds good." I though, I do have a broken item right here I would like to be rid of. So off we toddle to Amazon's recycling page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201819410
"For equipment weighing less than 30kg, Amazon will pay for the cost of your return. You can print a prepaid label with the Landbell Group. Once your item is properly packed, you can bring it to one of the drop-off points or arrange a collection".
So - how do we 'arrange collection' ? No link, no information. So does that count for them to pick up e-waste if you have to be chums with the one guy in Amazon who arranges these pickups? They want to say they do something without actually allowing anyone to do it - or otherwise make it as hard as possible to arrange.
What about if I did a chat with Amazon support? What are the bets for how long and painful that customer service experience would be? How many times would they insist for me to do drop the thing off somewhere by myself before escalating to a high enough manager who will follow the words they promise? And then do I have to box it up all nicely with printed labels inside and out?
On a different topic - an easy way to cut down on e-waste is to extend the warranty period by an extra year. Things we buy really shouldn't be built to break after only a year - so it reduces waste and improves quality. I remember Europe discussing this in the past, but it seems to have fizzled out for some reason.
Collection Link
It looks like you actually arrange a collection via the LandBell Group link, so Amazon means "follow this link to arrange a drop off or collection"
Re: Collection Link
Ahh - true. The instructions weren't immediately clear enough for the idiot behind this keyboard though. Although to be fair in the original page the way all the other options are hyperlinked up and the pickup option isn't made it look like a dead end.
RE: extra year's warranty
Not sure that'd be much use anyway, the UK Goods and Services Act gives you 6 years, not two, hardly anyone resorts to it. And a quick read of the reviews on Amazon will show you folks are too dumb or have too much disposable income... "This was rubbish, worked for a week then wouldn't even turn on, well that's £200 in the bin" or "worked for the first year then failed, but I liked it so much I bought another"
And looking at you Philips, where the only way to remove the battery from a £150 toothbrush is to destroy it ready for recycling. <-- not my toothbrush
A lot of kit is "designed" to be thrown away
Virtually all computers were originally designed to be repaired and restored to operation in the old days. TV sets too, phones, and kitchen appliances as well. But these days everything is designed to be thrown away to boost the manufacturers profits.
I wonder if it's possible to pick up all the e-waste, grind it to sub-millimetre grains and then run the mess through the same set of processes used to extract gold, cobalt, lithium, tantalum etc etc from nature?
Re: A lot of kit is "designed" to be thrown away
I wonder if it's possible to pick up all the e-waste, grind it to sub-millimetre grains and then run the mess through the same set of processes used to extract gold, cobalt, lithium, tantalum etc etc from nature?
As I understand it, that's pretty much how it's done. Grind up scrap, use magnets to sort ferrous & non-ferrous and send to a smelter. Or waste is picked for parts that might contain more valuable stuff, ie chips to grind and smelt for gold recovery. Downside is cost, waste, and potential pollution from recovery processes. Plus AFAIK, some materials like lithium can't easily be recovered from batteries, or recovered in a useful, reusable form.
Re: A lot of kit is "designed" to be thrown away
This is why we should just bury our (economically) un-recyclable waste.
In future it will be economical recyclable and people will pay for access to the former landfill sites to extra the precious materials.
Re: A lot of kit is "designed" to be thrown away
It will only be economically viable because prices will have gone through the roof if you don't recycle. That's not quite the point of recycling. Still, the invisible hand and all that.
Re: A lot of kit is "designed" to be thrown away
You recycle the stuff you can recycle without subsidy and bury the stuff that you can't.
I'm not talking about things that can already be economically recycled.
If the price of the raw material increases and the buried waste becomes valuable then fine. If it doesn't increase and we keep burying the waste then fine - good that we haven't wasted resources by recycling something that we can't economically recycle.
Yes, leave it to the invisible hand.
Re: A lot of kit is "designed" to be thrown away
Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells "This is why we should just bury our (economically) un-recyclable waste."
Agreed. Next to your house?
Re: A lot of kit is "designed" to be thrown away
"I wonder if it's possible to pick up all the e-waste, grind...."
That is how it is done. Much of it is done by a single machine, it us just a giant shredder, sorts out basic parts e.g ferrous, plastics and non-ferrous. And then sent off for further processing.
Dreamer...
> build products with long-term repairability in mind
Sure, sure. That, and unicorn-drawn carriages. Two simple and easy to implement programs which would go a long way towards improving life.
Re: Dreamer...
Unicorn-driven carriages [1]available from Q3 2021 .
[1] https://frame.work/
One day, far in the future, people will be mining old landfill sites in the search for minerals of which the natural supplies have been exhausted.
"people will be mining old landfill sites"
Unfortunately this isn't likely to be feasible. A mining engineer pointed out to me long ago that the concentration of any specific metal in a mine is vastly greater than in a mixed rubbish tip. He said "we're extracting concentrated materials and spreading them too thinly to be economically recoverable."
Targeted recycling of sorted materials is viable though, and it's got to be the way forward, rather than just dumping everything in holes in the ground.
Re: "people will be mining old landfill sites"
Yes. But the economics of the situation will change when the natural supply is exhausted.
Re: "people will be mining old landfill sites"
And technology improves.
And if we're talking about certain types of plastic, we can bury them together in dedicated dumps.
force online retailers to collect old electronics from customers
Wow, that company that sold me a micro SD card online for a few quid is gonna be well pissed off when it expires and they have to travel 200 miles to pick it up and dispose of it.
EE
When I upgraded my home broadband connection, just after lockdown one started, EE sent me a bag to put the old one in and drop off at a Post Office.
Did consider filling it with some various bits of IT junk that's in a box somewhere, but decided against it...
(and I know they have shops, but they'd just been closed down)
Laptops = WEEE
Laptops themselves are the problem.
Most people treat them as disposable items you throw away after a few years.
When you do throw them away you are usually throwing away something that is 90% working, ie screen, cpu, motherboard etc. It's normally only the hard drive that's the problem, either hardware or sofware.
You get less performance for your money, they are easy to nick, easy to break, they are very hard to repair, they are very hard to upgrade, apart from the RAM or HD. They also give you RSI if you don't buy external devices.
Yet everyone wants a laptop and the government is even giving them out for free.
Practical? Better for the environment?
I'm not sure they really have thought this through, especially for the smaller online seller. Who would be responsible for supplying the return packaging (Environmental impact of sourcing and supplying that) and what is the environmental impact of getting it transported?
At work we repair various old retro computers, customers often ask us to arrange collection which can be time consuming especially when the courier doesn't turn up when they should and can be awkward for the customer. They will have a lot less motivation to stay in to have it collected just for recycling.
My local council now offers a good service: "We now collect unwanted and broken small electrical items. Put your small electrical items in a standard sized carrier bag, tie up and place next to your rubbish on your normal waste collection day.
Local recycling is much better environmentally
Of course the best recycling is reuse, so if it is still useable sell it, give it away (charity, freecycle...)
Lack of knowledge/demand by consumer?
It strikes me most consumers are not aware of the requirement for retailers to take waste electricals off your hands when you buy a new one, and that retailers do not do a good job of informing people (because of the extra work for them it would generate).
I seem to recall when we bought a new washing machine locally a few years back, the seller would deliver for modest sum but wanted extra to take the old appliance back to their warehouse where they would be obligated to take it. In retrospect I should have borrowed a trailer, lumped the old one in the back of it and left it by their showroom.
Retailers probably hope that consumers will shove the old item in a drawer or garage and when they do get round to clearing out, make the journey to their local council tip rather than turning up in store broken kettle in hand.