Last Updated: Jul 18
Category: General News
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive aims to reduce the waste from electrical and electronic equipment when it is disposed of. Producers, importers and retailers are now responsible for collecting and recycling or recovering a proportion of this waste, dependant on their market share.
Manufacturers and importers are most affected by the directive, as they are responsible for treating and recycling their products after it has been disposed of. They are also responsible for goods already on the market.
Under the WEEE directive:
- WEEE items should be marked with a crossed-out wheeled bin symbol, the identify of the business that made it and when the product was put on the market.
- Distributors and retailers are responsible for taking back WEEE free of charge in a convenient way for customers;
- Producers must register with an approved compliance scheme, or directly with DEFRA. The latter option will not be financially viable for most SME’s.
- Retailers must either have an in-store operation to take back WEEE or join a Take Back Scheme.
- All WEEE that is collected separately must be treated.
Businesses that make electrical and electronic equipment need to register with the Environment Agency if they haven’t already done so. Further help and information is available from The Red Tape Team, who have published a series of free fact sheets on the WEEE directive. To see how the Red Tape Team can help you and to download copies of the fact sheets please visit www.red-tape.org/
