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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to include the recycling of small electrical items as part of household waste collections.

The Waste Electronics and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) regulations make producers responsible for the electrical products they place on the market when they become waste. As part of this producers can pay into the WEEE Compliance Fee fund that provides project funding for local authorities seeking to provide more recycling opportunities for local residents. It also funds consumer awareness campaigns highlighting the importance of properly disposing of their electrical waste. According to Material Focus, 100 local authorities in the United Kingdom operate Kerbside collection for small electricals.