WEEE Regulations

WEEE stands for waste electrical and electronic equipment and EEE is electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).

EEE is defined in the regulations as ‘equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly and equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement of such currents and fields falling under the categories set out in Schedule 1 [to the Regulations] and designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1,000 volts for alternating current and 1,500 volts for direct current’.

In other words, if it needs electricity to work, whether it be plugged-in or battery-operated, and is below the voltage limitations, it is EEE.

There are, however, a range of exemptions and anyone in any doubt about whether a product is in Scope should refer to the Agency Guidance document.

The WEEE Directive and transposing UK Regulations are all about ‘extended producer responsibility’ (‘EPR’), which the OECD defines as a policy approach in which a producer’s responsibilities for a product extend to the post-consumer stage of that product’s life cycle – in other words, the producer is responsible for the product when it becomes waste.

There are two related features of EPR: (a) the shifting of responsibility (physically and/or economically, partially or fully) away from the consumer or end-user upstream towards the producer; and (b) providing incentives to producers to incorporate environmental considerations at the design stage of a product’s development. For the definition of ‘producer’ under the WEEE Regulations, click here.

Both of these features are incorporated into the WEEE legislation: producers are financially responsible, generally through their compliance scheme, for meeting the cost of collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of the products they put on the UK market when they become waste. The Regulations place a duty on the Secretary of State to encourage the design and production of EEE which takes into account and facilitates dismantling and recovery, in particular the re-use and recycling of WEEE, its components and materials.

The whole point of EPR is to encourage the reduction of waste, to promote the re-use of products and materials, and to increase the amount of recovery and recycling of waste, all of which serve to divert waste away from landfill.

WEEE is the third producer responsibility regime introduced. The first two are for packaging and end-of-life vehicles whilst legislation governing the collection and recycling of batteries was introduced in 2010.

As per the UK Government website, for each compliance year you must report products you put on the market in one of these 14 categories:

1 – Large household appliances

2 – Small household appliances

3 – IT and telecommunications equipment

4 – Consumer equipment

5 – Lighting equipment

6 – Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools)

7 – Toys, leisure and sports equipment

8 – Medical devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected products)

9 – Monitoring and control equipment

10 – Automatic dispensers

11 – Display equipment

12 – Appliances containing refrigerants

13 – Gas discharge lamps and light-emitting diode (LED) light sources

14 – Photovoltaic Cells (solar panels)

Household and non-household products

Categories 1 and 2 include ‘household’ in the title. However, all the categories cover both household (known as business to consumer – B2C) and non-household (known as business to business – B2B) products. Products designed for one or the other but which can be used by both are known as ‘dual use’. Dual use is classed as household EEE and you must report their weight.

Category 1. Large household appliances:

• air conditioning unit – if within a household or business system (units built into non-EEE, such as a lorry or boat are exempt) – if the unit contains substances used for refrigeration report as category 12
• air curtains
• air filtering and extracting systems – electrically powered filters, fan systems and extractors, including those built into or attached to a building – if the unit is built into non-EEE such as a lorry or boat, it’s exempt
• cooker hood
• furniture that needs electricity to work properly, such as office furniture, for example a desk with speakers, display screen or integrated smart features – does not include electrical upholstered domestic seating (see Non-EEE product examples). Report electrical items that are plug and play or retrofit separately (see also category 8)
• gas boiler – where they rely on electricity to work properly
• gas cooker – if it will work as a gas cooker without electricity, such as one with a clock or igniter powered by electricity, it’s not an EEE product – if it needs electricity to work properly, for example to control the burners, it’s an EEE product
• spa baths, hydrotherapy baths and computerised massage baths
• sunbeds – report fluorescent bulbs under category 13
• stairlifts
• under floor heating systems powered by electricity
• water coolers (bottle or mains supply) – if it contains refrigerants, report under category 12

Category 2. Small household appliances

• air fresheners and perfume sprayers – includes plug-in or battery powered
• extension cords, multi-terminals, adaptors and extension leads – if sold as part of a specific product, report under the product’s category
• electric ironing board – with specific electronic functionality
• electric shower – electric pumps and control units supplied as part of a shower package are EEE products
• loft ladders with electronic controls
• massage appliances, for example massage pads that fit onto chairs
• roller screens with electronic winders
• sockets, switches, dimmers and plugs
• taps with extra functions, such as sensors or safety features
• torches and bike lights – includes filament bulbs and LED torches
• travel adaptors which enable any UK electrical appliance to be plugged into an electrical socket in another country

Category 3. IT and telecommunications equipment

• car diagnostic equipment – equipment plugged into a car’s central processing unit to diagnose and record faults
• cards with chips – for example, set top box cards and cards that need electronic or electromagnetic fields to work, such as pre-paid Oyster and travel cards (not bank cards)
• HDMI cables
• memory cards, USB sticks and SIM cards
• power packs and power banks – rechargeable power banks or single use batteries that provide a portable power supply for electronic devices – used to recharge mobile smart phones or tablets when mains power is unavailable (deduct the weight of the internal battery from the overall weight of the power bank unit)
• printer cartridges that need electric currents or electromagnetic fields to work – exclude the ink from the weight you report
• radio frequency identification devices (RFID) – includes radio tracking devices, anti-theft devices and electronic tags for criminals (a RFID security feature that forms part of the product’s packaging is not an EEE product)
• satellite navigation (sat nav) systems – sat navs are EEE products – those permanently wired and fixed into a vehicle or yacht are part of the vehicle and are not EEE products
• smart mirrors with integral displays and WiFi or bluetooth technology
• touch screens that have integral computers, such as e-readers, tablet computers and patient check-in systems
• USB memory sticks and drives

Category 4. Consumer equipment

• aerials, antennas and digital TV dishes
• baby monitors
• in car entertainment – units that are not permanently installed in the car are EEE products – units purchased separately and permanently wired into the car, and will remain so until sold or scrapped, are not EEE products
• security systems including CCTV with motion sensors, video or stills camera and display equipment integrated into the system (classed as equipment for recording or reproducing sound or images) – individual items not integral to the system may need to be reported in a different category, such as a display monitor in category 11
• set top boxes
• single-use cameras – classify as B2B – they’re usually returned to a film processor for recycling or disposal

Category 5. Lighting equipment

• ceiling rose with flex and lamp holder
• decorative lighting chains and other decorative luminaires
• household luminaires – including table, wall, ceiling, garden and other light fittings – include lampshades when sold with the luminaire
• illuminated emergency exit signs
• luminaires with movement detectors
• mirror with integral lamps and light fittings, for example theatre mirrors
• street lights – where parts are put on the market separately only the lantern, wiring and control box are EEE products, not the concrete or steel posts – report the lamp in category 13
• trailer light boards – detachable lights for caravans and trailers

Category 6. Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools)

• electric fences
• pumps, filters and fountains for garden ponds – pumps that rely on electricity to function
• wind turbines – small scale use such as by a householder, on a smallholding or at the roadside – large scale wind turbines are exempt (they are fixed installations)

Category 7. Toys, leisure and sports equipment

• clothing where it includes a fundamental feature which needs electricity to function, such as a gym top with a heart rate monitor, heated walking jacket or a hat with integral speakers
• e-cigarettes
• electric bicycles – these are not covered under the ‘means of transport for persons or goods’ exclusion unless they are ‘type approved’ – for details see European Commission guidance
• fish tanks – report the whole weight of a tank with a light, heater or pump supplied as a single unit
• games consoles – report in this category even if they have extra functions like a DVD player
• gym equipment – report the whole weight of the product

Category 8. Medical devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected products)

• blood glucose meters or testers
• furniture designed to help mobility, such as hospital beds and riser chairs with movement controls that need electricity to function
• hearing aids
• x-ray machines used in hospitals

Category 9. Monitoring and control equipment

• car park and traffic management electric barriers
• fire alarm systems that rely on electricity – includes smoke detectors, alarm bells, lighting and sprinklers
• electric vehicle charging points with monitoring or other smart features – report basic charge points as category 10
• electricity distribution equipment that is a finished product, such as fuse boxes, consumer units and circuit breakers
• energy management systems – including sensors and displays
• loadbanks (testing systems for electric power supplies)
• PV inverters – small to medium installations, including micro-inverters (you must report as B2C if they can be used for households or commercially
• smart meters – report electricity meters as B2B and ‘add on’ meters or monitors for householders to manage their energy consumption as B2C
• thermostats and time switches
• traffic lights – temporary and mobile systems are EEE products (when put on the market as a single product) – for installed fixed systems (where parts are placed on the market separately) only the lighting and control equipment are EEE products, not the steel posts
• x-ray machines installed in airports

Category 10. Automatic dispensers

• electric vehicle charge points with basic charging only
• photo booths – normally you should report as B2B

Category 11. Display equipment

• screens – includes all TV screens such as cathode ray tube (CRT) plasma screens, liquid crystal display (LCD) and separate computer screens – report display screens integral to other products in their category, for example laptops and mobile phones, incategory 3, MP3 players in category 4
• screens used for advertising or showing information

Category 12: Appliances containing refrigerants

• boilers containing refrigerants
• fridges using ammonia (except if designed and installed in a non-EEE product, such as a boat or caravan)
• furniture with an integral fridge – this will require treating as a cooling appliance
• heat pump tumble dryer

Category 13: Gas discharge lamps and LED light sources

• laser lamps – fitted into products for use in professional medical, cosmetic and engineering industries, for example, to weld, engrave or cut – report as B2B
• LED filament lamps
• LED lamps and modules – when put on the market as an individual item as a replacement (to maintain or upgrade)
• LED tape and strips – when placed on the market for end users
• multi-functional lamps with WiFi booster, movement sensor or speakers
• smart lamps – if they can be programmed, for example to change colour

Category 14: PV panels (solar panels)

All PV panels are EEE products. Because PV panels are of a generic size and design they must be reported as household (B2C) regardless of where they’re installed. It includes panels used in large scale solar farm installations or on commercial premises. The Environment Agency does not class solar farms as large scale fixed installations.

Report other solar powered items under their own category. Examples include calculators, watches, garden pumps and phone chargers.

Follow the link for a summary of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 that took effect from 1 January 2014. Should you have any questions or concerns around the regulations, get in touch with our specialists.

Producers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) must identify and report the weight of EEE they place on the market. The Environment Agency’s technical guidance provides information on which electrical equipment should be counted under the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.

If you need help please get in touch, a member of our expert team will be available to help.

A number of terms are used in the WEEE regulations. By following the link below, we can help you understand the terminology on EEE and WEEEE, with an extensive list of EEE and WEEE terms that are used around WEEE compliance.

Should you need any clarification on these terms, or on your responsibilities, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team of specialists.

Approved Authorised Treatment Facility. An authorised treatment facility (ATF) that is approved by the appropriate authority under the Regulations to issue Evidence Notes for WEEE treated within the UK. See also ‘Approved Exporter’.

Approved Exporter

An exporter who is approved by the appropriate authority under the Regulations to issue Evidence Notes for WEEE that is exported out of the UK for treatment, recovery and recycling.

Authorised Treatment Facility

An authorised treatment facility (ATF) is a facility that treats WEEE in accordance with the requirements of the Annex to the WEEE Directive. ATFs are authorised under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Waste Management Licensing) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006 (or Scottish and Irish equivalents). All separately collected WEEE, e.g. WEEE deposited at DCFs and business WEEE collected by B2B producers, must be delivered to an ATF for treatment.

Business-to-Business (B2B)

Business-to-Business (B2B) is the common term used for supplies of EEE for which the end-user is a business, as opposed to a consumer, or for WEEE arising from businesses. In the Regulations, B2B WEEE is referred to as ‘WEEE from users other than Private Households’.

Business-to-Consumer (B2C)

Business-to-Consumer (B2C) is the common term used for supplies of EEE for which the end-user is a consumer, i.e. a member of the public. In the Regulations, B2C WEEE is called ‘WEEE from Private Households (WPH)’, although, as the definition of WPH shows, it can include business WEEE (see ‘The Legislation in Depth’ in the members’ area for a more detailed account of WPH).

Designated Collection Facility

Designated Collection Facilities (DCFs) are sites dedicated to the collection of WEEE from Private Households (WPH) for onward clearance by, or on behalf of, producers or compliance schemes. DCFs may be established at local authority civic amenity sites or waste transfer stations, or by distributors, producers, third parties or charitable and social enterprise organisations engaged in the re-use of EEE.

Dual use

Business EEE that is similar in nature to household EEE and must therefore be classed as household EEE. This is also then classed as household WEEE on collection.

Declaration of Compliance

The Declaration of Compliance (DoC) is a certificate submitted to the appropriate authority by compliance schemes or, in certain circumstances, producers declaring that the scheme/producer has or has not met its obligations under the WEEE Regulations. DoCs must be submitted by 1 June in the year following the end of the compliance period and be accompanied by copies of all evidence notes.

Distributor Take-back Scheme

The Distributor Takeback Scheme is the body appointed by the DTI to approve DCFs. The DTS also provides its member distributors with signs in a standardised format for in-store display to provide information to their customers.

EEE Producer Registration Number

The EEE Producer Registration Number (EPRN) is a unique registration number issued to producers, via their compliance scheme, by the appropriate authority. Producers are required to declare their EPRN to any distributor to whom they intend to sell or supply EEE.

Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) is defined in the Regulations as ‘equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly and equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement of such currents and fields falling under the categories set out in Schedule 1 [to the regulations] and designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1,000 volts for alternating current and 1,500 volts for direct current’. EEE does not include equipment designed specifically to protect UK national security or for a military purpose, or equipment that is part of another type of equipment that is outside the scope of the Regulations (e.g. an aircraft or car).

Evidence Note

The Evidence Note (EN) is the WEEE equivalent of the packaging regime’s ‘PRN’. ENs will be issued by the operators of AATFs in two stages: the first stage will document the WEEE received by the ATF for treatment; the second stage will document the WEEE leaving the ATF after treatment. ENs will be used by Compliance Schemes to demonstrate that they have met their targets for collection, recycling and recovery.

Historic WEEE

WEEE arising from EEE put on the market before 13 August 2005.

Non-Household WEEE

Non-household WEEE is WEEE arising from users other than consumers (i.e. business WEEE). See Business-to-Business.

Producer Compliance Scheme

A Producer Compliance Scheme is usually a limited company, through which producers will meet their obligations to register with the appropriate authority and finance the cost of collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal.

Producer Identification Mark (PIM)

Producers must mark their EEE with a ‘producer identification mark’. This is usually their brand name or logo. The PIM must easily identify the producer of the EEE product.

Recovery

For practical purposes, ‘recovery’ is essentially recycling plus incineration with heat recovery.

Recycling

Recycling is defined as the reprocessing, in a production process, of waste materials for the original purpose or for other purposes, but excluding energy recovery (which means the use of combustible waste as a means of generating energy through direct incineration with or without other waste but with recovery of the heat).

Reprocessor

A reprocessor is a person who carries out one or more activities of recovery or recycling and who holds a relevant authorisation, e.g. a waste management licence or exemption from holding such a licence.

Re-use

‘Re-use’ means any operation by which WEEE or components thereof are used for the same purpose for which they were conceived, including the continued use of the equipment or components thereof which are returned to collection points, distributors, recyclers or manufacturers.

Treatment

‘Treatment’ is defined as any activity carried out on WEEE after it has been handed over to a facility for depollution, disassembly, shredding, recovery or preparation for disposal, and any other operation carried out for the recovery or disposal or both of WEEE. Treatment must be carried out using ‘best available treatment, recovery and recycling techniques’ (BATRRT) and certain treatment for materials and components of WEEE is stipulated in Annex II to the Directive, transposed in the UK through the WEEE Treatment Regulations.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

WEEE is electrical or electronic equipment which is waste within the meaning of the Waste Framework Directive including all components, subassemblies and consumables which are part of the product at the time of discarding. ‘Waste’ is defined in the Directive as any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard.

WEEE Materials

WEEE materials include all substances, components, subassemblies and consumables derived from WEEE that have not been fully recovered.

WEEE from Private Households

WEEE from Private Households (WPH) is WEEE which comes from private households and from commercial, industrial, institutional and other sources which, because of its nature and quantity, is similar to that from private households.

WEEE from users other than private households

B2B or non-household WEEE.

Abbreviations are often used as short-hand for some of the longer WEEE terms. Use the link below to find out what the common abbreviations stand for, such as PCS, AATF and DCF.

If you have any questions on the abbreviations contained within the list, please contact us and we can provide further information where necessary.

AATF

Approved Authorised Treatment Facility

AE

Approved Exporter

ATF

Authorised Treatment Facility

B2B

Business-to-Business sales of EEE (also called ‘non-household EEE’)

B2C

Business-to-Consumer sales of EEE (also called ‘household EEE’)

BATRRT

Best Available Treatment, Recovery and Recycling Techniques

DCF

Designated Collection Facility

DOC

Declaration of Compliance

DTS

Distributor Takeback Scheme

EEE

Electrical and Electronic Equipment

EN

Evidence Note

IPR

Individual Producer Responsibility

NHW

Non-Household WEEE

PCS

Producer Compliance Scheme

PIM

Producer Identification Mark

WEEE

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

WPH

WEEE from Private Households

WPRN

WEEE Producer Registration Number