Could the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive affect your business?
Discarded electrical and electronic equipment is one of the fastest growing waste streams globally, according to the European Union.(1) (© European Union. CC)
Termed “Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment” (WEEE), every year an estimated 2 million tonnes of WEEE items are discarded by householders and companies in the UK.(2) (© Crown copyright. OGL)
Rules on e-waste are designed to minimise the impact that the ever-increasing amount of these materials have on the environment, while encouraging more sustainable production and consumption. With the growing amount of discarded electronics in the UK, under the extended responsibility obligations, producers are required to finance the collection, treatment and recovery of WEEE.(3)
The Government advises that if those who sell electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) have certain responsibilities. It says:
“You must provide a way for your customers to dispose of their old household electrical and electronic equipment when you sell them a new version of the same item. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations apply regardless of how you sell the products, whether direct or by internet, mail order or telephone.”
“You must either:
provide a free, in store, take back service to your customers
set up an alternative, free take back service”
“If you do not have your own take back service, you must join the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS).” (4) (© Crown copyright. OGL)
WEEE regulations cover what happens to a wide range of devices like fridges, computers and mobile phones when they reach the end of their working life. The rules are important because these types of electrical waste contain a mix of materials, with some of these being potentially hazardous. (5) (© Crown copyright. OGL)
WEEE goods should now have the crossed wheelie bin symbol on them as a reminder that they have to be disposed of in a sustainable way and not go to landfill.(6) (© Crown copyright. OGL)
Electronic and electrical equipment covered by WEEE regulations:
large household appliances
small household appliances
IT and telecommunications equipment
consumer equipment
lighting equipment
electrical and electronic tools (except large scale stationary industrial tools)
toys, leisure and sports equipment
medical devices (except implanted and infected products)
monitoring and control equipment
automatic dispensers
display equipment
appliances containing refrigerants
gas discharge lamps and light-emitting diode (LED) light sources
PV panels (solar panels) (7)
(© Crown copyright. OGL)
Rare resources recycled
The original EU WEEE Directive requires the separate collection and proper treatment of WEEE and sets targets for their collection as well as for their recovery and recycling. EU rules address environmental and other issues caused by the growing number of discarded electronics in the EU. The aim is to contribute to sustainable production and consumption by:
preventing the creation of WEEE as a priority
contributing to the efficient use of resources and the retrieval of secondary raw materials through re-use, recycling and other forms of recovery
improving the environmental performance of everyone involved in the life cycle of EEE.
There are rare and expensive resources that could be recycled and re-used if the e-waste is effectively managed, all of which contributes to the growth of the circular economy. (8) (© European Union. CC)
The Environment Agency for England and Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency are responsible for ensuring that all eligible producers and suppliers register with a compliance scheme.(9) (© Crown copyright. OGL)
Sources:
2 https://www.hse.gov.uk/waste/waste-electrical.htm
3 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-eee-producer-responsibility#:~:text=EEE%20producers%3A%20what%20you%20must%20do,-You%20must%20register&text=If%20you%20place%20more%20than,WEEE%20collected%20in%20the%20UK%20.
4 https://www.gov.uk/electricalwaste-producer-supplier-responsibilities
5 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-eee-covered-by-the-weee-regulations/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-eee-covered-by-the-weee-regulations
6https://www.gov.uk/guidance/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-eee-producer-responsibility#:~:text=EEE%20producers%3A%20what%20you%20must%20do,-You%20must%20register&text=If%20you%20place%20more%20than,WEEE%20collected%20in%20the%20UK%20.
9 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c603ced915d6969f4470e/bis-14-604-weee-regulations-2013-government-guidance-notes.pdf