EC Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

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.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was agreed on 13 February 2003, along with the related Directive on Restrictions of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS).

The implementation of the WEEE Directive in the UK has been delayed. It was due to be transposed into Member State legislation by 13 August 2004 and come into force by 13 August 2005.

The UK Regulations implementing the WEEE Directive were laid before Parliament on 12 December 2006 and enter into force on 2 January 2007.

Amending Regulations were laid before Parliament on 11 December 2007 and will enter into force on 1 January 2008. The WEEE (Amendment) Regulations 2007 will clarify how reuse can be counted as part evidence compliance and the recording of WEEE arising. There are no major policy changes. A report is available on the provisions of the WEEE (Amendment) Regulations 2007 and progress on the development of the UK WEEE system (see below).

Non-Statutory Guidance was published on 28 February, revised in August and updated in December 2007. The main changes in the guidance document reflect the amendments to the WEEE Regulations and the chapters relating to scope, reuse, local authorities/DCFs and evidence.

UK WEEE Regulations (SI 2006 No. 3289)

(406KB)

UK WEEE (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (SI No. 3454)

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE). Progress report: December 2007

(57KB)

WEEE Regulations 2007: Government guidance notes

(416KB)

For Factsheets on WEEE explaining the obligations for producers, distributors, approved exporters, treatment facilities, business users and consumers.

BERR has published specific guidance for local authorities, producer compliance schemes, distributors, re-use and refurbishment organisations, and approved authorised treatment facilities to explain their roles within the WEEE system.

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is responsible for transposing the WEEE Directive into UK law, working in partnership with the Devolved Administrations.

Defra is responsible for ensuring the permitting of Authorised Treatment Facilities for the WEEE Directive.
The Environment Agency (SEPA in Scotland and EHS in NI) will be the enforcement agency for the WEEE Directive.

The WEEE Regulations apply to electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) which falls within the 10 product categories listed in the WEEE Directive:-

Large household appliances
Small household appliances
IT & Telecommunications equipment
Consumer equipment
Lighting equipment
Electrical and electronic tools
Toys leisure and sports equipment
Medical devices
Monitoring and control instruments
Automatic dispensers

The WEEE Regulations will apply to the following groups :

Producers (any business that manufactures, imports or rebrands electrical and electronic products)
Retailers and Distributors (any business that sells electrical and electronic equipment to end users)
Local authorities
Waste management industry
Exporters and reprocessors
Businesses and other non-household users of EEE

Latest Developments

1) WEEE (Amendment) Regulations 2007 were laid in Parliament on 11 December 2007 and will come into force on 1 January 2008 for the second compliance period.

2) BERR publishes updated

WEEE Regulations 2007: Government guidance notes

(416KB)

3) Minister Malcolm Wicks announces appointments of the WEEE Advisory Body (WAB)