Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
The WEEE Directive
In January 2003 the EU published The Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive was published in January 2003 by the EU. The legislation aims to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and encourage recycling and reuse. It came into full force in July 2007.
What is WEEE?
WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment - that means any item that works by means of electromagnetic fields or electric currents, including battery-powered items. It includes all items operating within a voltage range of up to 1,000 volts AC or 1,500 volts DC. There are ten categories of WEEE:
- Large household appliances
- Small household appliances
- IT and telecommunications equipment
- Consumer equipment
- Lighting equipment
- Electrical and electronic tools
- Toys, leisure and sports equipment
- Medical devices
- Monitoring and control equipment
- Automatic dispensers
However, some items aren't included, such as large-scale fixed industrial machinery, military equipment and components forming a small part of a vehicle.
Businesses and WEEE
The three main groups affected by the directive are producers, distributors and businesses that purchase electrical and electronic equipment. If your company purchases electrical and electronic equipment for work purposes, you're responsible for paying for it to be disposed of in an environmentally sound way, or having it collected by a producer or producer compliance scheme.
This rule applies to any item purchased before 13 August 2005. However, if you're disposing of an item bought before that date and replacing it with a new, like-for-like item, the relevant Producer Compliance Scheme is responsible for paying for its disposal instead. This also applies to items bought after 13 August 2005.
Where does the regulation apply?
This regulation applies to the whole of the UK. Many member states in the European Union have adopted similar legislation too. Producers or distributors with operations in other EU countries may need to register in those states - just ask us for help with the details.
Our service
Blue Castle can arrange the collection and recycling of all WEEE items - whether it's a single computer monitor or a collection of much larger appliances. We offer a full audit trail and help interpreting WEEE regulations, and we're happy to arrange ongoing or one-off collections. Please get in touch to find out how we can work with you.