To help stabilise the WEEE industry, the Compliance Fee Advisory Panel has agreed to offer operators financial support. £5.6 million is now available through the WEEE Support Grants and Loans Package. Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATFs) can apply for a grant or loan sum based on WEEE tonnage treated in the 2019 compliance period.
The economic damage COVID-19 has caused the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) sector has been significant. Once the Household Waste Recycling Centres closed and the WEEE collections diminished, the upstream WEEE supply chain dried up. Compounding the pressure, reuse and other downstream supply chain solutions have also shrunk. These factors have left the WEEE sector with no choice but to take drastic action. Many AATFs have chosen to temporarily cease trading and furlough their staff.
To help stabilise the industry, the WEEE Fund 2019 Compliance Fee Advisory Panel is set to offer financial support under a ‘WEEE Support Grants and Loans Package’ programme. Trade associations, authorities and industry leaders – including the AATF Forum and Defra – make up the WEEE Fund panel.
Comprised of grants and loans, Wiser Environment understands that the funding will total £5.6 million. The WEEE AATF charity sector will be eligible for £600,000 in grant subsidies. Whereas, the wider AATF sector will have access to £5 million in interest-free loans. For an AATF to be eligible for the loan, it would need to have issued treatment evidence in 2019. An application needs to be made before the end of May 2020. Successful applicants will be funded 50% of their allocation shortly following approval. The remaining 50% will be released three months from the date of the initial payment.
Analogous to the Government’s ‘Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme‘, the process for applying for the support is relatively simple. Contact details will be provided once the scheme is finalised. The Wiser Environment team is here to help support WEEE operators; working together to gather the required information and apply for the support package. For more information contact Wiser Environment or call on 01480 462232.
