The guidance places the onus on producers to determine whether an item is designed for business use only and is intended to inform WEEE producers, compliance schemes and treatment facilities.
The changes bring the UK in line with the rest of Europe in their definitions of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE), and how it should be reported by its producers. This in turn also affects how Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATFs), and ultimately Producer Compliance Schemes, report the resultant waste (WEEE).
Previously, the UK considered nature, quantity and design when determining how EEE/WEEE should be classified. However, BIS now takes into account whether EEE is likely to be used by both private consumers and business consumers, and has removed the “quantity” element of the definition.
The UK guidance states that any WEEE that is similar in type to that produced by householders, regardless of how much of it there is, should be classed as household WEEE. For example, all office PCs are now considered household waste.
• You will now have to report your EEE data in line with the new ‘dual use’ position.
• All EEE products will be classed as business to consumer (B2C), unless you can provide evidence that, due to its nature and design, it is not intended for use in private households.
• From January 2016, producers will be liable for a B2C cost based on their share of all dual-use EEE brought to market during 2015.
Clarity’s Project Manager, Vikkie Fitzgerald said: “In October and November last year we spent time identifying which of our members would most likely be affected by this change in definition and discussed it with each producer. If you are a member of Clarity’s WEEE compliance scheme, and you are unsure whether this change affects you, I would be delighted to be of assistance.”
Clarity’s low cost WEEE compliance scheme is one of the fastest growing in the UK, offering a full range of services to producers and business end-users. If you are a small producer and would like to know more about the support we can offer, please contact our technical specialists on 0845 129 7177.
