Environment Agency - Home

Frequently asked questions about WEEE

Find out how the WEEE Regulations affect you

When is electrical and electronic equipment considered waste?

What is the impact of electrical and electronic waste

We throw away a million tonnes of household electrical and electronic waste every year in the UK. At least as much comes from non-household sources such as offices, factories, schools and hospitals.

Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) plays an ever-increasing role in our daily lives.

Our kitchen appliances, mobile phones and computers offer us many benefits during their working lives but when this equipment is thrown away it affects the environment.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the UK and the EU.

Some WEEE contains hazardous substances and parts such as mercury in some switches, lead in solder and cadmium in batteries. Recycling rates for most types of WEEE (other than large 'white goods' - like fridges and washing machines) are very low.

What is the scope of the WEEE Directive?

The WEEE Directive covers a wide range of electrical and electronic products, although some are exempt from certain requirements.

The types of products covered are: 

  • large and small household appliances
  • IT and telecommunication equipment;
  • consumer equipment such as TVs, videos, hi-fi
  • lighting, electrical and electronic tools (except large stationary industrial tools)
  • toys, leisure and sports equipment
  • automatic dispensers
  • medical devices (these are exempt from the WEEE recycling and recovery targets)
  • monitoring and control instruments

      Where can I read the full WEEE Directive?

      The Directive was amended in December 2003 to replace Article 9 that deals with financing non-household WEEE.

      Where can I read the full UK WEEE Regulations?

      The Directive is implemented in the UK through two sets of regulations. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006, which implements most aspects of the WEEE Directive in the UK, came into force on 2 January 2007.

      The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Waste Management Licensing) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006 came into force on 5 January 2007. These Regulations cover England and Wales and deal with the site licensing requirements and WEEE treatment requirements of the WEEE Directive. Similar but separate legislation will be introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

      What is the RoHS Directive and how does it complement the WEEE Directive?

      The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, aims to reduce substances such as lead and mercury in new EEE.

      This should help to make those products easier and safer to treat and recycle when they become waste.

      The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2005 (Statutory Instrument 2005 No.2748) enables RoHS. Those regulations came into force on 1 July 2006.

      The National Measurement Office (NMO) is the UK's RoHS enforcement body, and we have no involvement with this legislation. Further details are available on the RoHS website.

      Does the WEEE Directive cover 'professional use' of EEE?

      The WEEE Directive covers both household and professional EEE, so products for professional, i.e. commercial and industrial use, are covered by the WEEE Regulations.

      Therefore, professional versions of products that fall under categories 1, 2 and 4 - household use - should also be considered to fall within the WEEE Regulations.

      Further information

      To help you interpret and comply with the WEEE Regulations, there are more frequently asked questions in the download section of this page. Frequently aksed questions have also been published by the European Commission. 

      Contact

      Our National Customer Contact Centre: 0370 8506506