Since1st July 2007 any business that manufactures, brands or imports electrical and electronic equipment is responsible for the cost of collection, treatment and recycling of obligated Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE) generated in the United Kingdom. The regulations also affect distributors and retailers of EEE as well as end users.

The European Commission Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) aims to minimise the impact of electrical and electronic goods on the environment by increasing re-use and recycling and reducing the amount of these goods 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 obligating distributors to allow consumers to return their waste equipment free of charge.

The WEEE Regulations apply to electrical and electronic equipment which falls within these product categories listed in the WEEE Directive:

• Large and 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 instruments
• Automatic dispensers

Ling is able to offer your business a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment solution ensuring your company can meet all of these regulations in full by means of our recycling relationships with the major Compliance Centres.

The WEEE regulations will apply to the following groups:

• Producers (any business that manufacturers, imports or rebrands electrical and electronic products)
• Retailers and Distributors (any business that sells electrical and electronic equipment to end users)
• Local Authorities
• Waste Management Industry
• Exporters and Reprocessors
• Businesses and other non-household users