, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary
for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: I am pleased to launch
a consultation on the
Separate Collection of Waste Materials for Recycling – A Code
of Practice for Wales, which provides guidance on how to
comply with the workplace recycling separation requirements. This
consultation is part of the next phase for the Workplace
Recycling Regulations. The regulations, which came into force in
Aprill 2024, form an essential element of the Welsh Government's
action on the climate and nature emergency. By diverting valuable
recyclable materials from incineration and landfill and capturing
and returning them to the economy instead, we have laid
foundations for a stronger, greener economy as committed to
within our Programme for Government.
The consultation is seeking views on proposed revisions to
the Code of Practice which reflect planned
amendments to the Waste Separation Requirements
(Wales) Regulations 2023, one of the three statutory
instruments that make up the Workplace Recycling Regulations. The
amendments implement the commitment to bring in a requirement for
workplaces to present small waste electrical and electronic
equipment (sWEEE) separately for collection and onward recycling
from 6 April 2026, with workplaces currently only required to do
so for separate unsold sWEEE.
This proposed amendment is part of the phased approach to the
workplace recycling reforms consulted on in 2019 and in 2022/23. The next
phase will see requirements for textiles and plastic film being
phased in by April 2027. Other minor updates to the code within
the original policy scope have been made to reflect the expiry of
an exemption for hospitals and to make improvements for clarity
and consistency following feedback since the regulations came
into force in April 2024.
Alongside the consultation, I am also publishing
the Regulatory Impact
Assessment for the sWEEE element of these reforms, which is
expected to reduce CO2 e by 7,400 tonnes, and increase recycling
of small electricals by an estimated 38,000 tonnes over 10 years.
The separate collection of sWEEE creates the opportunity for
valuable resources to be recovered from this waste stream that
would otherwise be lost. By capturing these resources that can be
used by manufacturers instead of virgin raw materials, it also
reduces the extraction of materials that is also a root cause of
the global biodiversity crisis.
As well as environmental benefits, the policy will bring wider
benefits, with for example the expected creation of 91 new
waste management sector jobs and a reduction in the number of
waste fires caused by lithium-ion batteries found in many small
electricals.
The sWEEE requirement is the latest phase of the workplace
recycling reforms, which are modelled to deliver a
cumulative net benefit of £194.6MNPV over 10 years from the
combined package of measures.
Wales is already 2nd in the world for recycling and by
implementing the next phase of the workplace recycling reforms we
will be taking another important step. This will see more
recyclable materials captured and will enable even more
high-quality recycling to be captured so that it can be used by
Welsh manufacturers, unlocking the benefits of the circular
economy and making another significant step towards a net zero
Wales.
This statement is being issued during recess to keep Members
informed. Should Members wish me to make a further statement or
to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns I would be
happy to do so.
