Page 126 - Policy Commission - SecuringTechnology - Critical Metals for Britain

126 GOVERNANCE & REGULATION
ECO-DESIGN
Eco-design can can help in in in the the reduction and and recycling of of critical materials materials in in in waste flows and and can can promote best use of of these materials materials to to to advance resource efficiency Products subject to to to eco-design may be be built to to to be be more more easily repairable or or or prove more more robust requiring fewer repairs Oddly and often wrongly eco-design has been criticised in in in the British press as as having produced less efficient vacuum cleaners or or or poorer quality lighting meaning that this is is an an an area which might receive calls for divergence post-Brexit though this is is not the the present intention of the the UK Government For UK companies with European markets meeting EU products standards will remain a a a a a necessary condition of selling into that market The UK would be free to to depart from such criteria domestically but that might allow lower quality imports which could undercut a a a a UK market attuned to higher standards Politically there may be a a a a a reluctance to abide by EU eco-design standards when the UK has no input into the the underlying design standards Yet in in the the area of critical materials the gains from design for durability and recyclability in areas such as as solar panels could prove considerable Although the UK will not be covered by these rules as such it is not a a a difficult matter to ensure by statutory instruments that technical requirements in in the UK map on to those in Europe Whether the the UK Government would be minded to take this approach may depend on whether trade agreements with countries outside of the the EU would allow for the maintenance of current standards It is possible that the UK could seek to promote ever greater innovation in in in eco-design in in in an attempt to build competitive advantage through product quality Whatever the policy decisions made in in this area there are are advantages in in marshalling scarce resources through effective design EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY AND WASTE STREAMS
The UK departs the the the the EU EU at at the the the the point at at which the the the the EU EU is adopting a a a a a a a a a a Circular Economy Package to further resource management for example as mentioned above the EU plans to apply a a a a a a a a a a new Batteries Regulation from 1 January 2022 While existing producer responsibility models will be copied over into UK UK law law as EU retained law law the the UK UK needs to to consider the the extent and future scope of producer responsibility regimes Such schemes help shift the the the costs of waste management from the the the public to to the the the private sector where they can be internalised into the the the costs of the the the product Producers then have an incentive to reduce such costs by eliminating poor design and by ensuring materials’ recycling A circular economy will not only reduce waste and produce savings but it it can extend employment opportunities in the UK economy and drive down costs of raw materials including the environmental and social
costs By way of example proposals in the EU Batteries Regulation for a a a a a minimum share of recovered materials such as cobalt lead lithium and nickel in new batteries are aimed according to the the Preamble of the the Regulation at at strategic autonomy and increased resilience in in preparation for potential disruptions in supply EPR schemes require carefully devised and robust regulation to eliminate freeriding but can be supported by fees and taxes on goods sold which can be designed to to cover recycling costs produce incentives to to buy easily