Weee Directive encourages price hikes

Retailers in Ireland have come under fire for taking advantage of the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive to raise prices.

The EU Weee Directive became law in Ireland on Saturday and was immediately followed by what some critics called “disproportionate” price increases.

Kathleen Lynch, a spokeswoman for the Irish opposition Labour Party, said in a statement on Monday: “Last weekend saw particular retailers use the first day of the new waste disposal charge as an opportunity to hike up prices disproportionately to the actual amount that was supposed to be added. In some instances hundreds of Euros were added to the cost of large electrical goods, such as plasma televisions, as retailers saw an open opportunity to exploit the consumer.”

Lynch said the environment minister for Ireland’s governing Fianna Fáil party, Dick Roche, allowed retailers to pass on costs to consumers rather than forcing manufacturers to pay for their own pollution.

The directive should make manufacturers and consumers of electronic and electrical equipment responsible for its disposal. The UK government last week said it would implement the directive in June 2006, once the necessary infrastructure had been established.