Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government why they are planning to require larger retailers to accept used electrical items for recycling, including products originally bought from other retailers, rather than using existing local authority facilities and specialist scrap metal recycling units.

Large retailers selling electrical products already have an obligation under the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 to take back equipment for recycling, including products originally bought by other retailers, on sale of an equivalent item. The cost of recycling that waste equipment, and the cost of collection and recycling equipment deposited at local authority household waste recycling centres, is met by importers and manufacturers.

With independent research from Material Focus indicating that at least 500,000 tonnes of waste electricals were lost through being thrown away, hoarded, stolen, or illegally exported every year, the government is consulting on proposals to make it easier for householders to responsibly recycle their waste electrical equipment, through whichever route they find most convenient.