HW Martin Waste has confirmed that Verda Compliance Services, its new WEEE Producer Compliance Scheme, has secured regulatory approval for the 2027 compliance year, becoming the first new WEEE compliance scheme to be approved since 2015.
With approvals from both the Environment Agency (EA) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Verda will become operational from 1 January 2027 and will provide compliance services to both B2C and B2B producers.
The approval represents a significant development for the UK WEEE compliance market, introducing a new producer compliance scheme for the first time in more than a decade.
Verda has been developed by HW Martin Waste to combine specialist producer-responsibility expertise with the operational experience and infrastructure of one of the UK’s established waste and resource management businesses.
HW Martin Waste already manages WEEE across a substantial network of Designated Collection Facilities, giving the Verda team direct experience of the practical challenges faced by local authorities, collection sites, treatment partners and compliance schemes.
The new scheme is being built around strong governance, transparent evidence management, robust treatment-chain oversight and a practical understanding of WEEE collection and recycling.
Dave Allen, Head of Producer Responsibility at HW Martin Waste, said: “Securing approval for Verda is a major milestone for us, but becoming the first new WEEE Producer Compliance Scheme to be approved in more than a decade makes it particularly significant.
“We have deliberately approached the development of the scheme from an operational as well as a compliance perspective. Between the team, we have extensive experience of running producer compliance schemes, managing DCF networks, working with local authorities and producers, procuring WEEE evidence and working directly with AATFs and the wider treatment market.
“That experience has heavily influenced how Verda has been designed. 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.
“Approval is obviously an important point in that journey, but our focus now moves firmly towards mobilisation and being fully ready for the start of the 2027 compliance year.”
The development of Verda is being led by Allen alongside Damien Snape, Scheme Administrator, who brings extensive WEEE compliance-scheme and operational experience, with Phil Darwin, Director at HW Martin Waste, providing executive oversight as Lead Director for the scheme.
Phil Darwin said: “Verda is a natural extension of the capability that already exists within HW Martin Waste. We have significant operational experience within the WEEE sector and have invested in building the governance, systems and specialist team required to operate a high-quality producer compliance scheme. Our intention is to build Verda carefully and sustainably, establishing long-term relationships with producers, local authorities and treatment partners rather than simply pursuing scale for its own sake.”
The scheme will now move through its final mobilisation programme ahead of becoming operational on 1 January 2027, including producer onboarding, systems readiness, evidence and treatment arrangements, and the further development of its network of operational partners.
Allen added: “The WEEE system works best when producers, schemes, local authorities, collectors and treatment operators work together. One of our priorities with Verda will be building strong relationships across that whole chain. We are looking forward to speaking to producers and industry partners over the coming months and, most importantly, demonstrating what Verda can bring to the market from 2027.”
