BACK

'What does WEEE stand for and what does it cover?'
WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The WEEE Regulations apply to electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) which falls within 10 product categories; virtually all EEE. The list is defined as follows by the UK’s Department of Trade and Industry:

1. Large household appliances
2. Small household appliances
3. IT & Telecommunications equipment
4. Consumer equipment
5. Lighting equipment
6. Electrical and electronic tools
7. Toys leisure and sports equipment
8. Medical devices
9. Monitoring and control instruments
10. Automatic dispensers

'So as a consumer, who should I contact to dispose of an old synthesiser or a digital recorder?'
As consumers, for appliances you buy from 1 July 2007, your distributor (meaning retailer, online distributor, mail order distributor etc) has an obligation to inform you of the means they provide to dispose of WEEE free of charge for treatment or recycling when delivered for the ”in-store take-back” (option 1) or the designated collection point (option 2).

• Option 1 - “In - store Take-Back”: Retailers may accept an item for treatment (recycling or re-use) when you purchase an equivalent item.

• Option 2 – Distributor Compliance Scheme: The Retailer may direct you to a designated collection facility they support where you can dispose of your item free of charge. This will most likely be a local authority civic amenity site. However, there may be a fee charged by the retailer to collect the waste appliance from your home.

The retailer must provide at least one of these alternatives for you.

'What is meant by “equivalent item”?'
The product you are taking back to the Retailer for recycling free of charge to you, should fulfil the same function as the one you are buying. Date of manufacture, size or features are not important.

'What are the provisions for items purchased from distance sellers?'
The distance seller (for products purchased over the Internet, or through mail order) has to provide customers with information on how to discard appliances free of charge. Distance sellers may inform you of the distributor take-back scheme in your area or provide you with free shipping to a WEEE collection point.

'Can I continue to dispose of small electrical appliances with the household waste?'
You should not. The whole purpose of the legislation is to reduce the environmental impact of products going to landfill.

If you need any further information
You should seek advice from:

UK: The Environment Agency
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Tel: 08708 506 506

Northern Ireland: Environment and Heritage Service
www.ehsni.gov.uk
Tel: 028 9054 6462

Scotland: The Environment Protection Agency
www.sepa.org.uk
Tel: 01786 457700