On 2 January 2007 the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006 come into force. The burden it puts on small businesses is draconian. Businesses of all sizes have only until until
15 March 2,007 to join an approved Producer Compliance Scheme. Total cost of the whole compliance package £1 - 2k in annual membership charges before a single printed circuit board has been recycled.There is no minimum company size; the regulations apply to all producers whatever their turnover, market share or number of employees.
For us the cost of doing this is out of proportion to the profit generated by our equipment sales so we are considering withdrawing our product from the market. However we will still have a reasonable business in supplying spare parts and service for machines sold over the last 20 years. Unfortunately the information on government web sites appears to have been written by the Bosnian Serbs, and the commercial sites contradict each other, are sometimes out and out wrong and can not be regarded as impartial.
It's a criminal offence not to register before 15th of March, so ...
Please, does anybody happen to know:
Is repairing a 12 year old machine using new spare parts "Putting a product onto the market", thus requiring registration ?
Is selling new spare parts for a customer to repair his 12 year old machine "Putting a product onto the market".
DG