WHERE DOES THE RESPONSIBILITY LIE?
The following guidance is specific to lighting but is also true for B2B WEEE in general.
A producer and therefore his scheme is responsible for discarded lighting equipment as follows:
- If the luminaires were installed before 13 August 2005 then the producer who is supplying the replacement products is responsible
- If the waste luminaires are not being replaced then the end-user is responsible
- If the discarded luminaire was sold on or after 13 August 2005 then the producer who originally supplied it is responsible
- If the producer cannot be traced the end-user is responsible
Producers are obliged to mark their equipment so that users can easily identify which producer (if any) is responsible when it comes to disposal.
These different responsibilities can make the process of dealing with the discarded luminaires complex and bureaucratic. In an effort to counter this, whilst at the same time meeting its obligations to act in the best interests of its producer members, Lumicom has developed an interactive website that:
- Assists enquirers in determining who is responsible for the discarded luminaires
- Provides a relatively simple mechanism for showing that the discarded luminaires concerned are the responsibility of the Lumicom producer member, rather than, for example, physically checking products.
- Enables a customised solution to be discussed.