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A new waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) producer compliance scheme has received regulatory approval for the 2027 compliance year, becoming the first new entrant to the UK market since 2015, according to its operator, HW Martin Waste.

Verda Compliance Services has secured approval from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), and is scheduled to begin operating on 1 January 2027, providing compliance services to producers of both household and non-household electrical equipment.

The scheme will offer manufacturers and other obligated producers an additional option for meeting their responsibilities under the UK’s WEEE regulations, which require producers to finance the collection, treatment and recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment.

Verda has been developed by HW Martin Waste, which already manages WEEE through an established network of designated collection facilities (DCFs). The company says this operational experience has informed the scheme’s approach to compliance, including evidence management, oversight of treatment operations and relationships with local authorities and recycling businesses.

Two men standing in an office in front of a glass meeting room displaying the Verda Compliance logo
Damien Snape (left), Scheme Administrator, and Dave Allen, Head of Producer Responsibility at HW Martin Waste, are leading the launch of Verda Compliance Services.

Dave Allen, Head of Producer Responsibility at HW Martin Waste, said the approval represented an important milestone for the company.

“We have deliberately approached the development of the scheme from an operational as well as a compliance perspective,” he said.

“We want it to be a responsive, transparent and commercially sensible scheme that understands both the regulatory obligations placed on producers and the realities of collecting and treating WEEE on the ground.”

The scheme’s development is being led by Allen alongside Damien Snape, Scheme Administrator, with HW Martin Waste director Phil Darwin providing executive oversight.

Darwin said the company intended to establish long-term relationships with producers, local authorities and treatment partners, rather than pursuing rapid expansion.

Preparations for Verda’s January launch will include onboarding producers, establishing evidence and treatment arrangements, completing compliance systems and developing its network of operational partners.