Norpe UK Ltd and the WEEE Directive
On the 2nd January 2007 the UK enacted the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive requiring all electrical products to be recycled at the end of their useful life. The regulations set rules for the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of electrical waste along with the paperwork required to prove compliance. The costs for this are to be financed by the Producer (the UK manufacturer or importer) and will result in a price increase on all electrical goods including Commercial Refrigeration.
The full regulations come into effect on 1st July 2007.
How the WEEE Directive will Work in Commercial Refrigeration
When a buyer purchases a new cabinet, they can decide to take the responsibility to finance the future collection and disposal of the product or to buy with the Producer retaining that responsibility. Norpe UK Ltd will give their customers this choice as part of the normal commercial negotiation. If the buyer takes on the responsibility a lower price can be charged. However the buyer will need to take on the burden of the future disposal of the cabinet and for proving the disposal was undertaken in accordance with the regulations. The cost of this may prove expensive for the smaller buyer.
In addition at the time of purchasing a new cabinet, a buyer may ask the Supplier to take back a similar used cabinet (for example one that was bought before August 2005 and is therefore not WEEE marked). In this case the price of the new cabinet will also need to reflect the cost of disposal of the used cabinet.
It is recommended that buyers take both Future and Historic WEEE costs into account when negotiating prices.
Product Scope of the WEEE Directive
The WEEE Directive applies to almost all commercial refrigeration sold after 13th August 2005 with the notable exception of fixed installations or contaminated product which may present a health risk.
A fixed installation product is one that is not sold as a complete entity but needs to be assembled in situ. Examples of fixed installation products are remote dairy cases or freezers, coldrooms, split systems and installations where engineer assistance is required. Since these products are not covered by the WEEE Directive there is no obligation on the Producer to finance their collection and environmentally sound disposal.
To avoid WEEE being rejected on contamination grounds users should ensure that refrigeration products are left in a clean and empty state when the time comes to dispose of the product. To be safe, there should be no biological, chemical or physical agents which are foreign to the cabinet, inside the product.
More information on the WEEE Directive can be found on THE DTI website:
www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/sustainability/weee/page30269.html
Product temperature Classes EN 441
All Norpe products are tested to the highest possible standards, refrigeration manufacturer's rate cabinets in 2 ways:
1. Ambient Site Conditions
This is the temperature & humidity of the store that the unit is designed to operate in. Norpe products are “Climate Class 3 - 25°C, 65% RH”
This means that your Norpe product works best either at or below these figures.
2. Product Temperature Class
This is the temperature that your product, once down to temperature, should remain at even during periods when the refrigeration unit is defrosting.
The ratings are as follows:
| Class |
Max Product Temp
|
Min Product Temp
|
| M1 |
+5ºC
|
-1ºC
|
| M2 |
+7ºC
|
-1ºC
|
| H1 |
+10ºC
|
+1ºC
|
| H2 |
+10ºC
|
-1ºC
|
Norpe Products are manufactured to
“Class M1 -1°C/+5°C”
When choosing your next multideck, remember to check that it is going to work in the warmest of UK weather conditions and that it is going to keep your product refrigerated to the correct temperatures!