Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations
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.
Every importer, rebrander or manufacturer of electronic equipment in the UK must meet their responsibilities under the terms of the WEEE Directive. Detailed information on how to do this can be found at the Environment Agency website.
If your business or organisation uses electronic equipment, then your supplier will need to arrange collection and safe disposal of that equipment when supplying you with new products as follows:
Business EEE from products put on the market after 13 August 2005
Manufacturers, retailers, branders and importers of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) are responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of the EEE that they supply to businesses. The directive allows producers and businesses to agree alternative financing arrangements. This is a commercial decision and is likely to form part of the normal negotiating processes for supply contracts in the future.
Business EEE from products put on the market before 13 August 2005
Different arrangements apply for WEEE arising from products put on the market before 13 August 2005 (known as historic WEEE). If historic WEEE from businesses is being replaced by new equivalent products, the EEE producer is responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal when supplying the new products. In other cases, for example where the historic WEEE is not being replaced, the end user (the business) has to pay.
