WEEE Regulations
There are strict regulations that cover the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) to reduce the amount disposed of in landfill sites and via incineration. Businesses that create any type of e-waste must comply with the producer obligations under this WEEE legislation. This ensures the safe, legal, and responsible management of WEEE.
Changes to WEEE regulations have occurred as the WEEE Regulations 2006 were replaced by the WEEE Regulations 2013 and came into force at the start of 2014. This is the current legislation in place covering the management, disposal, treatment, and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment.
Understanding how the WEEE regulations apply to your business is essential to get rid of your e-waste responsibly and legally and avoid any potential penalties, fines, and environmental harm. Here we explain what the WEEE regulations are, your responsibilities as a business, and how to comply with the legislation.
WEEE regulations summary
Simply put, the WEEE regulations in the UK require:
- Businesses to separate e-waste from other waste materials and streams
- Companies to organise separate collection of WEEE
- Registering as a producer annually (depending on how much EEE a firm places on the UK market)
- Distributors to offer a free takeback of WEEE and retain a record for at least four years
- WEEE to be recycled, reused, and recovered – it must be disposed of away from landfill and incineration
- Fluids to be drained from old electrical equipment before recycling and disposal
WEEE regulations in the UK
The Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013 apply to every business that produces e-waste in any form. This could be through manufacturing, importing, distributing, selling, repairing, or simply using electronic and electrical products. They were introduced across the UK in 2014 to reduce the amount of WEEE going to landfill.
Under the WEEE regulations, producers and distributors have a responsibility to finance the collection, treatment, and recovery of their e-waste. Using a licensed carrier for your WEEE collections, such as with Business Waste, is a simple way to ensure your old electrical and electronic items are disposed of in line with the WEEE regulations.
It also obligates all businesses that sell electronic or electrical equipment to supply customers with a way to dispose of their old version when selling them a newer one. These regulations apply whether you sell the items in a shop, on the phone, online or by mail order. This must be done in one of two ways, by either:
- Offering a free, in-store take-back service for customers where they can dispose of their old items.
- Creating another free take-back service customers can use.
Learn more about WEEE regulations on the UK government website
WEEE categories
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 include most business or household products that use a plug or battery. This covers everything from a broken washing machine to handheld games consoles. The regulations outline 10 main WEEE categories. Any items that fall under these must be disposed of in line with the regulations.
These WEEE categories are:
- Large household appliances – washing machines, dishwashers, cookers, microwaves, fridges and freezers
- Small household appliances – irons, toasters, clocks, and vacuum cleaners
- Lighting equipment – high-intensity discharge lamps, and straight and compact fluorescent tubes
- Electrical and electronic tools – electric saws, drills, electronic lawnmowers and sewing machines
- IT and telecommunications equipment – laptops and personal computers, telephones, pocket calculators and copying equipment
- Consumer equipment – stereos, radios, televisions, video cameras and musical instruments
- Automatic dispensers – money and hot drink dispensers
- Monitoring and control equipment – thermostats, heating regulators and smoke detectors
- Medical devices – analysers, medical freezers, cardiology equipment and (non-infected) dialysis machines
- Toys, leisure, and sports equipment – games consoles, electric trains and running machines
What is the WEEE Directive?
The WEEE Directive is a European Community Directive that aims to tackle the growing amount of e-waste in Europe. Despite being an EU directive it was implemented into the WEEE Regulations. There are three main aims of the WEEE Directive as it:
- Requires separate collection and treatment of e-waste with targets for their collection, recovery, and recycling
- Aids European countries to fight illegal waste exports by making it harder for exporters to disguise illegal shipments of e-waste
- Reduces the administrative burden to harmonise national EEE registers and reporting
As the UK is no longer a member of the EU, the WEEE Directive doesn’t apply directly to businesses in the country. However, many of the same principles and ideas apply within the WEEE regulations.
Achieve WEEE compliance
WEEE compliance with the regulations is vital for businesses that produce electrical items and need to provide a take-back scheme. It’s also essential for organisations that want to recycle electricals, such as broken equipment. As one of the leading WEEE compliance companies, we offer a range of services to fulfil your WEEE obligations.
Regulations were introduced to reduce the amount of electrical waste going to landfill sites or being incinerated. WEEE compliance aims to encourage electronic recycling and the reuse and recovery of products and electrical components. Businesses that generate e-waste in the UK have obligations and must register as a producer when they produce:
- Less than five tonnes of EEE on the UK market in a compliance year – register directly with their environmental regulator as a small producer
- More than five tonnes of EEE on the market annually – join a producer compliance scheme
At Business Waste, our experts can help and advise on what you need to do to ensure you meet your WEEE compliance requirements. Our waste management services include:
- Delivering free bins to separate and store WEEE waste – you only pay for collection.
- Arranging collections of WEEE waste anywhere in the UK.
- Offering expert advice to ensure compliance with WEEE regulations for waste disposal.
- Identifying and categorising your WEEE waste types.
- Providing free duty of care certificates for all waste removed.
- Recycling as much of your WEEE waste as possible.
Get a free no-obligation quote for collection of your commercial e-waste today. Speak to one of our friendly team for your bespoke price or to learn more about how we can help you achieve WEEE compliance – call 0800 211 8390 or contact us online.
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Published 27th February 2025 by Graham Matthews.