Regulations: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

Guidance for manufacturers, importers and distributors.

Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is regulated to reduce the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) incinerated or sent to landfill sites.

Reduction is achieved through various measures which encourage the recovery, reuse and recycling of products and components.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (as amended) is the underpinning UK legislation.

The regulations cover EEE defined in 14 broad categories.

The regulations do not apply to:

Further information on EEE scope is available from the Environment Agency.

Producers who:

Distributors (including retailers) who make EEE available on the UK market, including by distance selling.

Producers may also be distributors and can often be the same business. However, private individuals importing products are not liable to comply with the regulations.

Register as a producer annually. How producers do this depends on how much EEE they have placed on the UK market in the previous calendar year (also known as a compliance year):

The PCS takes on their obligations to finance the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of household WEEE collected in the UK,

The weight of any batteries in this EEE must be subtracted and reported separately, under the regulations covering waste batteries.

Ensure a ‘crossed out wheeled bin’ symbol of appropriate size as per the BSI EN50419 standard is displayed on the product.

Within one year of placing new EEE on the UK market, ensure information is made available on the reprocessing of EEE components and materials.

Retain all relevant documentation for at least four years.

Further information and templates to help producers comply with the regulations are available from the Environment Agency.

All distributors must:

Retailers with a sales area of EEE greater than 400 square metres must also accept small WEEE (less than 25 cm on its longest side) for free from private household customers at their retail site or close to it without the requirement to purchase new EEE.

If your business sells less than £100,000 of EEE per year, you can join the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS) now.

Read further information to help distributors comply with the regulations

Download templates for distributors operating a take-back scheme

Download templates for distributors who are DTS members

The Office for Product Safety and Standards has been appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to enforce the regulations in the UK in relation to:

If you have a specific enquiry about compliance or wish to contact us regarding suspected non-compliance please email [email protected].

Alternatively you can contact our helpdesk on 0121 345 1201.

Or in writing to:

Office for Product Safety and Standards4th Floor Cannon House18 The Priory QueenswayBirminghamB4 6BSUnited Kingdom

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Updated at the end of the transition period to reflect minor amendments to the regulations, which do not impact on how to comply.

EU Exit Update

Updated to reflect changes to the scope of the regulations.

First published.