Revamp

The WEEE Directive came fully into effect in UK on 1 July 2007. It requires the recycling of almost all unwanted articles that are powered by mains electricity or by batteries - they may no longer be discarded in landfill.

FAQs

General FAQs relating to the WEEE Directive and the Regulations which implement it in England and Wales

• What is WEEE?
• Who is affected?
• How will it work?
• Why has this regulation been created?
• Where does this regulation apply?
• When will I need to act?

*with acknowledgements to greenstar

Retailers & Distributors Producers & Importers Householders Businesses

The WEEE Directive

The EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (the 'WEEE Directive') was agreed on 13 Feb 2003. Its eventual implementation in UK followed a very prolonged consultation process, delaying full implementation until 1 July 2007. The Directive aims to minimise the impact of waste electrical and electronic goods on the environment, by increasing re-use and recycling and reducing the amount of WEEE going to landfill. It seeks to achieve this by making producers responsible for financing the collection, treatment, and recovery of waste electrical equipment, and by obliging retailers and distributors to allow consumers to return their waste equipment free of charge.

Implementation of the WEEE Directive in the UK is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry; but the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency also have responsibilities for ensuring that appropriate collection, storage, treatment and disposal facilities and practices are in place. You can access the WEEE pages of these organisations via these links:

• Department of Trade & Industry
• Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Environment Agency