The company already runs a number of services for Comet, including its fridge take-back scheme, which sees equipment recycled through Wincanton's MeWa fridge processing machine at its plant in Billingham, on Teesside.
But working with 50 Comet stores mostly around the Midlands – and also Brighthouse Stores – Wincanton is now providing a wider take-back service for equipment, which is mainly white goods such as ovens and washing machines but will also take other equipment such as televisions and monitors.
Equipment will be taken to the company's Darlaston plant for sorting and processing, and Wincanton will be working on the project with Remploy, the organisation that provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Remploy will work specifically to identify items that can be refurbished for re-use in the community. Remaining equipment will be recycled via established routes including Wincanton's Billingham plant.
The “extensive” trial is set to run until October, Wincanton said, after which it will be determined what the way forward will be.
Martin Taylor, managing director of Wincanton's general retail and industrial division, told letsrecycle.com that the trial would see about 80 tonnes of WEEE collected each week from three platforms in the Midlands region.
Commenting on the project, Mr Taylor said: “Wincanton is ideally positioned to manage the return of WEEE goods because we have a nationwide transport network, our own processing facilities and strong relationships with major retailers and manufacturers.”
Regulations
Under the terms of the WEEE directive, retailers and manufacturers will be responsible for providing free take-back services for waste electronic and electrical equipment. The government issued its final three-month consultation on WEEE this month, with new draft regulations suggesting that a National Clearing House will allocate producers' responsibilities for WEEE (see letsrecycle.com story).
But Mr Taylor warned: “Some people have only just started thinking about their obligations, yet without proper systems in place, WEEE returns could become a financial black hole.”
One of the largest logistics companies in the UK, Somerset-based Wincanton employs 25,000 people in 15 European countries, and also works in grocery distribution, automated warehousing and petrochemical distribution.
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