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EC Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) aims to minimise the impact of electrical and electronic goods on the environment, by increasing re-use and recycling and reducing the amount of WEEE going to landfill. It seeks to achieve this by making producers responsible for financing the collection, treatment, and recovery of waste electrical equipment, and by obliging distributors to allow consumers to return their waste equipment free of charge.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was agreed on 13 February 2003, along with the related Directive on Restrictions of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS).

The implementation of the WEEE Directive in the UK has been delayed. It was due to be transposed into Member State legislation by 13 August 2004 and come into force by 13 August 2005.

The UK Regulations implementing the WEEE Directive were laid before Parliament on 12 December 2006 and enter into force on 2 January 2007.

Amending Regulations were laid before Parliament on 11 December 2007 and will enter into force on 1 January 2008.  The WEEE (Amendment) Regulations 2007 will clarify how reuse can be counted as part evidence compliance and the recording of WEEE arising.  There are no major policy changes. A report is available on the provisions of the WEEE (Amendment) Regulations 2007 and progress on the development of the UK WEEE system (see below).

Non-Statutory Guidance was published on 28 February, revised in August and updated in December 2007.  The main changes in the guidance document reflect the amendments to the WEEE Regulations and the chapters relating to scope, reuse, local authorities/DCFs and evidence.

UK WEEE Regulations (SI 2006 No. 3289)  (406KB)

UK WEEE (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (SI No. 3454)

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE). Progress report: December 2007  (57KB)

WEEE Regulations 2006: Government guidance notes  (416KB)

For Factsheets on WEEE explaining the obligations for producers, distributors, approved exporters, treatment facilities, business users and consumers.

BERR has published specific guidance for local authorities, producer compliance schemes, distributors, re-use and refurbishment organisations, and approved authorised treatment facilities to explain their roles within the WEEE system.

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is responsible for transposing the WEEE Directive into UK law, working in partnership with the Devolved Administrations.

• Defra is responsible for ensuring the permitting of Authorised Treatment Facilities for the WEEE Directive.
• The Environment Agency (SEPA in Scotland and EHS in NI) will be the enforcement agency for the WEEE Directive.

The WEEE Regulations apply to electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) which falls within the 10 product categories listed in the WEEE Directive:-

1. Large household appliances
2. Small household appliances
3. IT & Telecommunications equipment
4. Consumer equipment
5. Lighting equipment
6. Electrical and electronic tools
7. Toys leisure and sports equipment
8. Medical devices
9. Monitoring and control instruments
10. Automatic dispensers

The WEEE Regulations will apply to the following groups :

• Producers (any business that manufactures, imports or rebrands electrical and electronic products)
• Retailers and Distributors (any business that sells electrical and electronic equipment to end users)
• Local authorities
• Waste management industry
• Exporters and reprocessors
• Businesses and other non-household users of EEE

Latest Developments

1) Minister Malcolm Wicks for Energy attends the WEEE Stakeholder Event on 9 July hosted by BERR in conjunction with the WEEE Advisory Body (WAB).  

WEEE Event marks successful first year for electrical and electronic waste collection

Stakeholders were given the opportunity to help influence the work of the WAB through participation in workshops held throughout the day targeted at particular aspects of the UK WEEE system.   

WEEE Stakeholder event 9 July - Summary of workshops  (92KB)

2) A current list showing WEEE clearance from local authority sites  

WEEE Clearance from Local Authority DCF sites 21 July 2008  (75KB)

A few local authorities are still finalising contracts for WEEE clearance and the information will be updated as appropriate.  Details of PCS are available from the Environment Agency website. 

3) BERR has written to all PCS to remind them of impending deadlines and to clarify issues on compliance.

WEEE letter to Producer Compliance Schemes - 21 April 2008  (33KB)

4) An interim system has been agreed with Environment Agencies on the issue of evidence from metals derived from WEEE which is destined for reprocessing outside the UK.  This interim arrangement is only valid for the first and second compliance periods.  BERR will undertake a full review of the evidence process later in the year.  

For details of how this system can be applied .

Issue of evidence for metal derived from waste electrical and electronic equipment which is destined for reprocessing outside the UK  (43KB)

5) Settlement Centre

The WEEE Regulations place financial obligations on producers of electrical and electronic equipment with regard to WEEE arising in the UK.  The Settlement Centre (SC) has been developed and funded by BERR to monitor the levels of WEEE arising and the levels collected, treated and recycled by individual Producer Compliance Schemes (PCS).  The SC went live on 30 November 2007 enabling evidence notes to be submitted by Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATF) and Approved Exporters (AE).  From 19 February 2008 schemes can trade and record evidence they have acquired to ensure that they meet their members' obligations.  

Please note, the deadline for submission of evidence for the first compliance period has been extended to end of the April.  Final collection obligations for 2007 were issued on 16 May.  Evidence can be traded up to the end of 16 June. Under the Regulations, PCS will have until 1 June to submit their declaration of compliance to the Environment Agency.  The deadline for submission of declaration of compliance has also been extended to 16 June.

The Settlement Centre is only accessible to principal users; PCS/approved local authority DCF (Designated Collection Facilities) operators or AATF and AE working on their behalf.  BERR and the environment agencies will have access to the SC for monitoring purposes.

The Environment Agency has published Guidance Notes for WEEE Evidence. 

6) Malcolm Wicks and Defra Minister Joan Ruddock encourages the public to recycle old electrical items.      

7) WEEE (Amendment) Regulations 2007 were laid in Parliament on 11 December 2007 and will come into force on 1 January 2008 for the second compliance period.

8)  Minister Malcolm Wicks announces appointments of the WEEE Advisory Body (WAB).  Please see the WAB webpage for details of the Terms of Reference, Work Plan and Operational & Governance Framework.

Contacts

For further information on the UK WEEE Regulations, please contact:

weee@berr.gsi.gov.uk

The Commission has also produced a non-legally binding Frequently Asked Questions document :

Commission FAQ document