WEEE Regulations and SMEs

Alan HodgsonSenior Environment Officer

Incidents & Contingency Planning Producer Responsibility

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

What is the background?g Kitchen appliances, mobile phones and computers

offer many benefits during their working lives but when this equipment is thrown away it affects the environment.

g WEEE is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the UK and the EU.

g Some WEEE contains hazardous substances and parts such as mercury in some switches, lead in solder, and cadmium in batteries.

g Recycling rates for most types of WEEE (other than large ‘white goods’ such as fridges and washing machines) are very low.

What are the Regulations for?The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was adopted by the EU in 2003. It aims to reduce the amount of WEEE being disposed in landfills by promoting separate collection, treatment and recycling.

What do the Regulations do?g Require electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) to

be marked with a ‘crossed out wheeled bin’ symbol; g Set targets for the amount of household WEEE to be

separately collected; g Require the UK to establish and maintain a register of

EEE producers; g Makes distributors and retailers responsible for taking

back WEEE free of charge…;g Require all separately collected WEEE to be treated;g Introduce recycling and recovery targets for various

categories of WEEE.

What is the scope of the WEEE Directive?The types of products covered are:g large and small household appliances; g IT and telecommunication equipment; g consumer equipment such as TVs, videos, hi-fi; g lighting, electrical and electronic tools (except large

stationary industrial tools); g toys, leisure and sports equipment; g automatic dispensers; g medical devices (these are exempt from the WEEE

recycling and recovery targets); g monitoring and control instruments.

What is Electrical and Electronic Equipment?

The WEEE Regulations apply to EEE which:g is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic

fields in order to work properly, including equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement of such currents and fields;

g is designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1,000V for alternating current and 1,500V for direct current; and

g falls into one of the ten Categories in Schedule 1 to the WEEE Regulations.

WEEE category 1-Large household appliances

g Refrigerators, freezers & other large appliances used for refrigeration, conservation and storage of food

g Washing machines, clothes dryers & dish washing machines

g Electric stoves, electric hot plates & microwaves g Other large appliances used for cooking and other

processing of food g Electric radiators & other large appliances for heating

rooms, beds, seating furniture g Electric fans, air conditioner appliances & other fanning,

exhaust ventilation and conditioning equipment

WEEE category 2 -Small household appliances

g Vacuum cleaners, carpet sweepers & other appliances for cleaning

g Appliances used for sewing, knitting, weaving and other processing for textiles

g Irons and other appliances for ironing, mangling and other care of clothing

g Toasters, fryers, grinders, coffee machines and equipment for opening or sealing containers or packages

g Electric knives & scalesg Appliances for hair-cutting, hair drying, tooth brushing,

shaving, massage and other body care appliances g Clocks, watches and equipment for the purpose of

measuring, indicating or registering time

WEEE category 3 -IT & Telecommunications equipment

g Centralised data processing:g Mainframes g Minicomputers g Printer units

WEEE category 3 -IT & Telecommunications equipment

g Personal computing:g Personal computers (CPU, mouse, screen and

keyboard included) g Laptop computers (CPU, mouse, screen and

keyboard included) g Notebook computers g Notepad computers g Printers g Copying equipment g Electrical and electronic typewriters g Pocket and desk calculators

WEEE category 3 -IT & Telecommunications equipment

g Other products and equipment for the collection, storage, processing, presentation or communication of information by electronic means:g User terminals and systems g Facsimile & telex g Telephones & pay telephones g Cordless telephones, cellular telephones &

answering systems g Other products or equipment for transmitting

sound, images or other information by telecommunications

WEEE category 4 -Consumer equipment

g Radio setsg Television setsg Video cameras g Video recorders g Hi-fi recordersg Audio amplifiers g Musical instruments g and other products or equipment for the purpose of

recording or reproducing sound or images, including signals or other technologies for the distribution of sound and image than by telecommunications.

WEEE category 5 -Lighting equipment

g Luminaires for fluorescent lamps with the exception of luminaires in households

g Straight fluorescent lamps g Compact fluorescent lamps g High intensity discharge lamps, including pressure

sodium lamps and metal halide lamps g Low pressure sodium lamps g Other lighting or equipment for the purpose of

spreading or controlling light with the exception of filament bulbs.

WEEE category 6 -Electrical & electronic tools

g Drills & saws g Sewing machines g Equipment for turning, milling, sanding, grinding, sawing,

cutting, shearing, drilling, making holes, punching, folding, bending or similar processing of wood, metal and other materials

g Tools for riveting, nailing or screwing or removing rivets, nails, screws or similar uses

g Tools for welding, soldering or similar use g Equipment for spraying, spreading, dispersing or other

treatment of liquid or gaseous substances by other means g Tools for mowing or other gardening activities

WEEE category 7 -Toys, leisure & sports equipment

g Electric trains or car racing setsg Hand-held video game consolesg Video gamesg Computers for biking, diving, running, rowing etc.g Sports equipment with electric or electronic

components g Coin slot machines

WEEE category 8 -Medical devices

with the exception of all implanted and infected productsg Radiotherapy equipmentg Cardiology & Dialysisg Pulmonary ventilatorsg Nuclear medicineg Laboratory equipment for in-vitro diagnosisg Analysersg Freezersg Fertilization testsg Other appliances for detecting, preventing,

monitoring, treating, alleviating illness, injury or disability

WEEE category 9 -Monitoring & control instruments

g Smoke detectorsg Heating regulators g Thermostats g Measuring, weighing or adjusting appliances for

household or as laboratory equipment g Other monitoring and control instruments used in

industrial installations (e.g. in control panels)

WEEE category 10 -Automatic dispensers

g Automatic dispensers for hot drinks g Automatic dispensers for hot or cold bottles or cans g Automatic dispensers for solid products g Automatic dispensers for money g All appliances which deliver automatically all kind of

products.

Consumablesg Consumables only become WEEE if they are part of

another product that is WEEE.g For example, when a printer is discarded it becomes

WEEE. If an ink cartridge is inside the printer at the time, then the ink cartridge also becomes part of that WEEE at the time of discarding.

g The ink cartridge would not be WEEE if discarded on its own and is outside the scope of the Regulations.

g This only applies to consumables that would normally be included in the main EEE at time of disposal and not to other consumables; for example printer paper discarded with a printer would not be WEEE.

Fixed InstallationsFixed installations are outside the scope of the WEEE

Regulations. g Examples of fixed installations are:

g Lifts or escalators g Domestic electrical supply systems (ring mains,

fuse boxes and meters)g Examples of products notnot considered fixed

installations are:g Fire and intruder alarm systems that are not part

of or built into the fabric of the building. (See the FAQs on fixed installations on the EA website for more details).

Is It WEEE? Decision Flow Chart

N

O

T

C

O

V

E

R

E

D

Needs electric current to work?

Less than 1,000v AC or 1,500v DC?

Intended for specific national security & military purpose

Main power source is electricity?

Electricity is needed for primary function?

Forms part of equipment not included in product categories?

Covered by scope of the Regulations

YES

YES

No

YES

Luminaires in households

Large-scale stationary industrial tool Implanted & infected medical products

Filament lightbulbs

Covered by a specific exemption?

Large householdappliances

Small householdappliances

IT & telecomsequipment

Consumerequipment

Lightingequipment

Electrical &electronic tools

Toys, leisure &sports equipment

Medicaldevices

Monitoring & controlinstruments

Automaticdispensers

Fits within one of the 10 product categories?

Yes

No

YESNo

No

Yes

No

YES

No

No

What producers need to knowg If your company manufactures electrical and

electronic equipment (EEE), you will need to join a Producer Compliance Scheme that has been approved by one of the environment agencies.

g You are also regarded as a ‘producer’ if you import EEE into the UK on a professional basis or you resell EEE produced by someone else under your own brand.

g Producers must have applied to join an approved Producer Compliance Scheme by 15 March 2007.

Marking EEE products g Producers will have to mark EEE with a crossed out

wheeled bin symbol, a producer id mark & date mark. g In some cases... the symbol can be printed on the

packaging, the instructions or on the warranty. g By encouraging WEEE to be collected separately, the

regulations aim to promote reuse, recovery & recycling. g CENELEC has developed a European Standard for

WEEE Directive marking. g BSI has published this standard as BS EN 50419:2005

which can be obtained from BSI by phone on 0208 996 9000 or from their website.

What business users need to knowg The WEEE legislation introduces new responsibilities

for businesses and other non-household users of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).

g This includes schools, hospitals and government agencies when they dispose of their electrical waste.

g These organisations will need to ensure that all separately collected WEEE is treated and recycled.

g Whether the business or the producer of the EEE pays for this depends on the circumstances.

Business EEE from products put on the market after 13 August 2005g EEE producers are responsible for financing the

collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of the EEE that they supply to business users.

g The directive allows producers and business users to agree alternative financing arrangements.

g This is a commercial decision and is likely to form part of the normal negotiating processes for supply contracts in the future.

Business EEE from products put on the market before 13 August 2005g Different arrangements apply for WEEE arising from

products put on the market before 13 August 2005 (known as historic WEEE).

g If historic WEEE from businesses is being replaced by new equivalent products, the EEE producer is responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal when supplying the new products.

g In other cases, for example where the historic WEEE is not being replaced, the end user (the business) has to pay.

What retailers need to knowg The WEEE regulations will also affect retailers and

other distributors who sell EEE. g If they’re selling EEE to the public, retailers will have to

ensure that their customers can return their WEEE free of charge on a one-for-one basis, as long as the new equipment is of a similar type and has the same function as the old equipment.

g Householders will be able (but not compelled) to return their WEEE to retailers who offer in-store take-back.

g Retailers will be able to set up alternative collection systems as long as they are still convenient for customers.

What retailers need to knowg The regulations allow a Distributor Take-back Scheme as

an alternative to in-store take back for retailers and other distributors who join.

g This will probably be based mainly on the existing network of local authority civic amenity sites.

g Valpak has recently been appointed to operate the Distributor Take-back Scheme.

g Retailers and other distributors that join will contribute to the upgrade of Designated Collection Facilities.

g These retailers will not have to offer in-store take back of WEEE but will direct consumers to the nearest Designated Collection Facility.

What retailers need to knowg Retailers will also have to ask producers for their

unique producer number when they supply EEE. g This number will prove that the producer has joined an

approved compliance scheme and is helping fund the treatment and recycling of separately collected household WEEE.

g Retailers may agree with producers to show consumers a ‘visible fee’ for treating and recycling certain types of products at end of their life.

g The WEEE regulations and guidance set out the restrictions that apply to these fees.

Information Resourcesg www.environment-agency.gov.uk/weee

(See also FAQ link)g www.netregs.gov.ukg www.dti.gov.uk

DTI Guidance Bookletg www.defra.gov.ukg www.valpak.co.uk

Any Questions?Simple ones only, please.