Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy

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Environment Heritage Service
UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Regulations 2006
15 June 2007
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Overview of the UK Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006

• Eugene Kelly
• Producer Responsibility
• Environment and Heritage Service

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Contents

• Background
• What is WEEE?
• Overview and key points
• Distributors
• Producers
• Business WEEE
• Waste Operators
• EHS regulatory role
• Key dates

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Background

• EU WEEE Directive 2003
• To address the rapidly growing quantities of WEEE
  entering the waste stream
• To encourage separate collection of WEEE
• To reduce the amount of WEEE sent to landfill by
  setting mandatory recycling targets
• To ensure safe treatment recycling of WEEE and
  environmentally sound disposal of hazardous
  components
• To extend producer responsibility (polluter pays
  principle)

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What is WEEE

• In simple terms anything with a plug or a
  battery
• WEEE Directive - Ten categories

• Large household appliances
• Small household appliances
• IT telecoms equipment
• Consumer equipment
• Lighting equipment

• Electrical electronic tools
• Toys, leisure sports equipment
• Medical devices
• Monitoring control instruments
• Automatic dispensers

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WEEE system overview

• Distributors (retailers) have to facilitate the
  free collection of WEEE
• Producers (manufacturers importers) are
  responsible for financing the collection,
  treatment, recycling and disposal of WEEE
• Business end users may have obligations depending
  on the age of WEEE how they replace equipment
• Local councils have no obligations but can
  volunteer their sites to facilitate collection of
  household WEEE
• General Public have no obligations but will be
  encouraged to participate in separate collection
  of WEEE

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WEEE system overview

• There are significant differences between the
  obligations for household and business WEEE
• Distributor obligations
• Distributors of household EEE have to facilitate
  the free collection of WEEE
• Distributors of business EEE have no obligations
• Producer obligations
• Producers of household EEE obligation based on
  market share for each category
• Producers of business EEE obligation based on
  amount of WEEE returned by customers

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Distributors Household WEEE

• Distributors sell EEE to end users
• Retailers, distance sellers and manufacturers
  making direct sales
• Must facilitate free take-back of WEEE from
  consumers
• Offer in-store take-back, or
• Join the Distributor Takeback Scheme

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Distributors Household WEEE

• DTI has set up a national Distributor Takeback
  Scheme (DTS)
• DTS has recruited retailers to pay for its
  activities and has established a network of
  Designated Collection Facilities (DCFs)
• Most DCFs are Council Civic Amenity sites. Other
  DCFs include shopping centres, distribution
  centres, voluntary sector premises.
• A list of approved DCFs for the public to use has
  been published at www.valpak.co.uk/dts

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Distributors Household WEEE

• Retailers that do not join the national
  Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS) must offer
  in-store take back on a like for like basis
• These retailers can not bring WEEE to the
  Designated Collection Facilities (e.g. Council CA
  sites)
• These retailers must arrange collection of WEEE
  by Producers under Regulation 32
• The DTI will regulate retailer compliance not the
  Environment Agencies. DTI has appointed the
  agency VCA to carry out this role (www.vca.gov.uk)

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Distributors Business WEEE

• Distributors of business EEE (retailers,
  wholesalers) have no obligations under the WEEE
  Regulations

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Producers

• Producers place EEE on the UK market
• Manufacturers Importers businesses selling own
  brand EEE manufactured by others.
• Must pay for the collection, treatment, recycling
  disposal of WEEE
• Must join a Producer Compliance Scheme

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Definition of Producer - DTI

• UK based manufacturers of EEE
• UK re-branders of EEE who replace the brand of
  the original manufacturer
• Importers of EEE on a professional basis from
  unregistered manufacturers outside the UK
• Non-UK manufacturers who sell EEE directly to UK
  end users
• Non-UK manufacturers of EEE who want to relieve
  importers of the need to register

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Producer Compliance Schemes

• Producer Compliance Schemes are approved by the
  Environment Agencies 37 schemes
• 10 Business WEEE only 2 Household WEEE only 25
  cover both
• 27 cover all categories of WEEE 10 focus on
  specific categories
• 32 open to all producers 5 closed schemes
• Schemes recruit members and send registration
  details to Agencies including market share data
• gt 2500 registered producers in UK to date
• Market share of each scheme has been published by
  www.letsrecycle.com

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Producers Household WEEE

• Agencies calculate indicative producer
  obligations for Schemes based on market share
• Schemes to make arrangements for clearance of
  DCFs to match their obligations
• Schemes monitor and report arisings of WEEE
• Schemes to ensure facilities treating or
  exporting WEEE provide necessary evidence of
  recycling to meet targets
• Schemes to pay for collection and treatment and
  bill members accordingly
• At end of compliance year, final obligation is
  calculated based on market share and actual
  amount of UK WEEE arisings for that year

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Business WEEE 3 scenarios

• For EEE purchased after 13 August 2005, the
  original producer is responsible for financing
  collection and treatment when this becomes WEEE.
  No new purchase of equipment is necessary.
• For EEE purchased before 13 August 2005, if it is
  being replaced on a like-for-like basis, the
  producer of the new EEE is responsible for the
  old WEEE (even if they were not the original
  producer).
• For EEE purchased before 13 August 2005, if it is
  not being replaced, the business end user is
  responsible for its environmentally sound
  treatment and disposal.

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Business WEEE

• Producers of business EEE may use their supply
  chains (retailers/distributors) or Schemes to
  fulfil their obligations on their behalf
• Producers of business EEE can make a contractual
  arrangement with the end user that they will be
  responsible when the product becomes WEEE
• If there are no negotiations or agreements, the
  Producer remains responsible for the WEEE
• Purchasers of electrical electronic equipment
  need to make sure Producers accept their legal
  obligations when purchasing new equipment or
  replacing old equipment

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Producer obligations

• Declare their Producer Registration Number to
  their customers
• Mark equipment with their unique producer
  identification mark
• Mark equipment with the crossed-out wheel bin
  symbol

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Waste operators

• Must have appropriate licences
• Contractual arrangements with Compliance Schemes
• Approved by Environment Agencies to issue
  evidence notes of WEEE recycling in UK or export
  for recycling
• Must track WEEE derived materials to final
  destination e.g. steel works, glass factory

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EHS regulatory role

• UK approach
• 1 set of Regulations
• Central registration system
• Single database
• Standard procedures
• Standard fees
• Local role
• Auditing producers
• Monitoring for free riders
• Licensing WEEE facilities
• Inspections and compliance
• Approval of treatment facilities/exporters
• Advice and guidance

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Key dates

• UK WEEE Regulations 2 Jan 2007
• Distributor Takeback Scheme appointed Jan 2007
• Schemes approved 28 Feb 2007
• Member registration 15 Mar 2007
• Scheme members data to Agencies 31 Mar 2007
• Schemes market share from Agencies 17 Apr 2007
• DCF network published May 2007
• Approval of waste operators 1 Jul 2007
• Start of Producer Responsibility 1 Jul 2007
• End of first compliance year 31 Dec 2007

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Further information

• EHS contacts
• Website www.ehsni.gov.uk/waste
• E-mail weee_at_doeni.gov.uk
• Phone [phone]
• Environment Agency
• www.environment-agency.gov.uk/weee
• DTI
• www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/sustainability/weee

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