What is WEEE?

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Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) forms an integral part of everyday life, utilised in public services, manufacturing, organisations and companies and in most private households. When this equipment is no longer required or reaching the end of its life it becomes WEEE – Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

Electrical and Electronic Equipment covers a wide variety of products. The definition according to WEEE regulations is:

‘equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly and equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement of such currents and fields falling under the categories set out in Schedule 1 and designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1,000 volts for alternating current and 1,500 volts for direct current’ [4] [5]. Some exemptions do apply including equipment used for national security.

Basically (according to relevant legislation [3]) this includes the following 10 categories:

  • Large household appliances
  • Small household appliances
  • IT and Telecommunications equipment
  • Consumer equipment
  • Lighting equipment
  • Electrical and Electronic tools
  • Toys, leisure and sports equipment
  • Medical devices
  • Monitoring and control equipment
  • Automatic dispensers
  • Lighting equipment

Why is WEEE an issue?

Over the past decade WEEE has become a prominent global issue. With regular upgrades available and an inbuilt life expectancy piles of discarded computers and other Electrical and Electronic Equipment is commonplace. Over 1 million tonnes of WEEE enter landfill every year in the UK [7]. Due to this large quantity of waste, and its harmful nature, some organisations and countries have disposed of their waste by shipping it other countries for dismantling and disposal. This has resulted in countries such as China carrying the burden of other countries WEEE. This transportation is now regulated but WEEE remains a significant problem worldwide.

Electrical and Electronic Equipment is a harmful waste due to the use of heavy metals and toxic man-made components such as Hexavalent Chromium. Equipment disposed in landfill poses a serious risk to the local environment. Hazardous substances from equipment can leach into the local ground and can enter watercourses affecting flora and fauna. These hazardous substances can be toxic, carcinogens, cause birth defects and bioaccumulate within species causing infertility and growth defects.

Who is Responsible for WEEE?

The quick answer to this is everyone is responsible! Individuals and companies alike should be aware of the environmental impact of WEEE throughout its entire life cycle. Those producing EEE should be aware of the nature of the components used and minimise those that are hazardous as much as possible. Those using EEE should also be aware of any hazardous components and their potential threat to the environment and use it in a safe and efficient manner. When the equipment is no longer of use to the owner a method to reuse or recycle the equipment should be sort before disposal.

Under the legislation described those who have the following involvement with EEE are obliged to abide by the regulations [2]:

  • Manufacturers
  • Importers
  • Re-Brands
  • Distributors (including internet based)
  • Sellers
  • Stores
  • Treats
  • Dismantles
  • Recycles
  • Disposes
  • Uses
  • Repairs and Refurbishes

What is the law?

There are two pieces of fundamental legislation relating to Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment:

  1. The most current WEEE regulation is: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2009 [3]. The aim of this piece of legislation is to encourage reuse and recycling rather than disposal of EEE to landfill by making producers responsible for the equipment they place on the market [2]. This piece of legislation can be broken down into separate obligations:
  2. Register- Producers of EEE must register with an Environmental Regulator (in England and Wales this is the Environment Agency).
  3. Labelling – EEE must be marked with a crossed-out wheel bin symbol and the producer’s identification number.
  4. Information – Distributors and Retailers of EEE must provide information regarding the environmental impacts of the substances within the EEE, the reasons for separating the waste from the mainstream and a safe method of disposal.
  5. Take Back – Producers and distributors of EEE are required to provide a take back facility for their WEEE. This obligation can be met by either joining a Producer Compliance Scheme or taking back the waste directly. The Producer Compliance Scheme allows producers and distributors to fulfil their obligation by allowing an independent company to collect, treat, recover and dispose of their WEEE.
  6. Payment – Producers are obliged to pay the equivalent amount of money to collect, treat, recover, and dispose of the waste (WEEE) from the quantity of Electrical and Electronic Equipment they place on the market to the producer compliance scheme.
  7. Treating, Recycling and Exporting – those who undertake these processes must obtain the relevant environmental permits and provide regular documentation and evidence of quantities and abidance.

These obligations can vary slightly for those who produce non-household EEE, see [8] for further details.

  1. The Restriction of the Use of certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Amendment) Regulations 2009 [4]. This piece of legislation stipulates certain restrictions on the use and quantity of hazardous substances in new EEE manufactured in the EU. The following hazardous substances are regulated:
  2. Lead
  3. Mercury
  4. Cadmium
  5. Hexavalent Chromium
  6. Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB)
  7. Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (PBDE)

These pieces of legislation utilise the ‘Producer Responsibility’ approach encouraging innovation and consideration at the beginning of the equipments life cycle. The aim of this approach is to ensure that manufacturers are taking responsibility for the entire environmental impact of the equipment including its final disposal. Non compliance may result in prosecution and a fine.

So what do I do with my WEEE?

If you’re a business and bought your equipment after 13th August 2005 you can return the equipment free of charge to the producer (always make a note of the Producers Identification Number). If you’re replacing a piece of equipment bought before this date, for a like piece of equipment, you can return the old piece of equipment to the new manufacturer free of charge. For any other WEEE which isn’t covered, this must be disposed through a registered waste carrier with the correct documentation at a charge [2].

If you’re a household and wish to dispose of your WEEE correctly then first check to see if you can return your equipment to the producer or distributor under this legislation. If this isn’t possible and there is no opportunity to reuse your equipment, then locate your closest disposal site and ensure the WEEE is placed in the separate disposal site supplied [1].

To make even less of an impact on the environment then make sure the electronics you are buying in the first place are environmentally friendly, such as the ones from our store.

References:

[1] http://www.wisegeek.com/how-should-i-dispose-of-my-old-computer.htm

[2] http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/topics/WEEE/default.aspx?gclid=CJznh4aBk6MCFREslAodjTSkmA

[3] http://www.england-legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20093216_en_1

[4] http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20090581_en_1

[5] http://www.econo-weee.com/legal_definitions.php

[6] http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/waste/32084.aspx

[7] http://weeeman.org/html/what/index.html

[8] http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/topics/WEEE/63045.aspx

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