Legislation

What is it?

The WEEE regulations aim to reduce the amount of this waste going to landfill and improve recovery and recycling rates. In fact very high WEEE recycling rates are readily achieved by specialists in this field.

If you manufacture, import or distribute electrical and electronic equipment, generate or collect these wastes you will need to be WEEE compliant.

Who is affected?

You will need to comply with the WEEE regulations if you:

• Collect electrical or electronic waste from your customers for treatment or disposal

• Distribute electrical or electronic equipment

• Export electrical or electronic waste

• Generate any electrical or electronic waste (such as old computers, fridges and other white goods, fluorescent tubes, etc)

• Manufacture or import electrical or electronic equipment

• Operate a waste treatment facility.

You may be prosecuted if you fail to comply with the regulations.

What must you do?

If you pass electrical and/or electronic waste to someone else they must be a registered waste carrier or other approved person. The WEEE must be accompanied by a waste transfer note or hazardous waste consignment note (as appropriate) and taken to a suitable facility to be treated and recycled.

For more information on the disposal of WEEE please visit the Environment Agency’s regulations website pages on WEEE compliance.