Gap Group (NE) Limited welcomed Louise Grantham the chief executive of REPIC the UK’s leading waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling scheme to its Gateshead premises to celebrate reaching a 3 million tonnes recycling milestone over the duration of the scheme. To put this figure in context it is the equivalent of REPIC achieving the Environment Agency’s current annual target for all UK compliance schemes for six years.
Recycling Electrical Producers Industry Consortium UK (REPIC) is a not-for-profit producer compliance scheme, its members comprise of some of the world’s most recognisable electronics producers such as Hoover, Panasonic, Hitachi, JVC and many more; ensuring effective and compliant recycling of their products.
REPIC works in partnership with tightly regulated waste management companies such as Gap Group which recently became one of only two organisations with facilities in the UK to achieve WEEELABEX accreditation that means the plant operates at a very high level ensuring noxious gasses and all associated materials are 100% recycled and not released into the environment.
Group managing director at Gap Group (NE) Limited said: “The achievement of reaching 3 million tonnes of recycled WEEE is a real accomplishment and something the management team should be extremely proud of. REPIC is at the forefront of driving up standards in WEEE processing and something that in my opinion is long over due.”
REPIC’s chief executive, Louise Grantham, said: “We are proud of our 3 million tonnes achievement. We also recognise that significant milestones are not achieved alone but in collaboration with all of our partners.
“Today is about celebrating success collectively and saying a huge thank you. At a time when the recycling of e-waste has never been of greater importance, it is important to recognise what can be achieved when we work collectively to improve standards, minimise losses from the system and improve collection levels.
“The occasion presents an opportunity to express thanks to the scheme’s members, service providers, waste management companies, and local authorities who have worked with and supported REPIC in achieving this milestone.”
Peter Young director at Gap Group said: “Gap Group has worked well with REPIC for a significant number of years and hope our relationship will only get stronger as we continue to invest in new and improved technology. I think our recent WEEELABEX accreditation, the WEEE European gold standard for recycling, underlines this and is a clear statement of intent.”
Gap’s reprocessing facilities in Gateshead are WEELABEX approved, a significant step as new legislation is coming into force in August 2022 in the sector that will see facilities having to invest in achieving the new standards or cease to operate.