Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive (2002/96/EC) aims to reduce the waste arising from electrical and electronic equipment and improve the environmental performance of all those involved in the life cycle of electrical and electronic products. Affected parties include those manufacturing, selling, distributing, recycling or treating electrical and electronic equipment. This includes:
- household appliances
- IT and telecommunications equipment
- audiovisual and lighting equipment
- electrical and electronic tools
- toys, leisure and sports equipment
- medical devices
- automatic dispensers
The Directive covers WEEE used by consumers and for professional purposes.
By 13 August 2005:
- private householders will be able to return their WEEE to collection facilities free of charge;
- producers (manufacturers, sellers, distributors) will be responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of WEEE from private households deposited at these collection facilities;
- producers will be responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of WEEE from users other than private householders from products placed on the market after 13 August 2005; and
- producers will also be responsible for financing the management of WEEE from products placed on the market before 13 August 2005. However, it may be possible for all or part of these costs to be recovered from users other than private householders.
By 31 December 2006:
- producers will be required to achieve a series of demanding recycling and recovery targets for different categories of appliance; and
- the UK must have reached an average WEEE collection rate of four kilograms for each private householder annually.
Additional information on WEEE is available from the Reverse Logistics Association paper What is WEEE?
DIRECTIVE 2002/96/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 January 2003
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