DEFRA have today proposed a 2017 lamp collection target for the UK of 6009 tonnes.  They have said they would particularly welcome evidence from stakeholders to support or indicate if an alternative target may be appropriate.

Every year, the Government consults on WEEE collection targets, prior to finalising them at the end of March.  Once they are set, each WEEE Producer Compliance Scheme receives a share of the target, based on the market share of its members in the prior year.

The proposed 2017 target is 13% lower than the 2016 target of 6882 tonnes, and 2% lower than the actual tonnage collected.

Commenting on the proposed target, Recolight Chief Executive Nigel Harvey said:  “In most WEEE categories, the target increases each year.  However, lamps buck the trend.  Given the material movement in new product sales towards lamp and luminaire LED technologies, it is not surprising that waste lamp collections are reducing.  LED lamps currently only account for around 1% of the total waste lamp tonnage.  Accordingly, we think the proposed target is broadly correct.”

We have probably now reached ‘Peak lamp WEEE’. Tonnages collected are likely to decline in future years as the shift from fluorescent to LED luminaires accelerates.  This will probably only reverse when LED lamps reach end of life in larger numbers.”