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.  Non-Statutory Guidance will be available in the new year.

UK WEEE Regulations (SI 2006 No. 3289)   (406Kb)

- DTI 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:-  

1. Large household appliances
2. Small household applicances
3. IT & Telecommunications equipment
4. Consumer equipment
5. Lighting equipment
6. Electrical and electronic tools
7. Toys lesiure and sports equipment
8. Medical devices
9. Monitoring and control instruments
10. 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 eletrical and electronic equipment to end users)
• Local authorities 
• Waste management industry
• Exportersand reprocessors
• Businesses and other non-household users of EEE

Latest Developments

 1)   On 12 December Malcolm Wicks announced

- new regulations transposing the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directives ( 2002/96/EC) and 2003/108/EC in the UK – the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006.

- Valpak Retail WEEE Services Ltd had been appointed as the operator of the Distributor Take back Scheme (DTS).

For further information please see the press notice

2) DTI is running WEEE Regional Roadshows aimed at producers, importers and retailers in the following locations: London, Nottingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ewloe (North Wales), Newcastle, Belfast, Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff.

WEEE regional roadshows   (27Kb)

3)   A summary of responses to the consultation on draft WEEE regulations and the Government response was also published on 12 December.

WEEE consultation response - summary of responses and government response to fourth consultation on implementation of Directives 2002/96/EC and 2003/108/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment   (288Kb)

4)  The final regulatory impact assessment implementing the WEEE Directive has also been published.

WEEE consultation - final regulatory impact assessement for the WEEE regulations 2006   (595Kb)

7) The DTI has produced a factsheet on the new rules for distributors of electrical and electronic equipment

WEEE distributor factsheet   (43Kb)

8) A factsheet on the new rules for producers of electrical and electronic equipment has produced by the Environment Agency

WEEE Producer factsheet   (40Kb)

Contacts

For further information on the WEEE Directive, please contact:

weee@dti.gsi.gov.uk

Envirowise offers practical help on both the WEEE and RoHS Directives, as well as other environmental issues free of charge. www.envirowise.gov.uk