Frequently asked questions
EEE is equipment:
- which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields to work properly
- for generating, transferring and measuring these currents and fields
- designed for use with a voltage rating 1,000 volts or less for alternating current and 1,500 volts or less for direct current
EEE is an acronym for Electrical and Electronic Equipment and it is this weight that is reported under the producer regulations.
WEEE is an acronym for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and refers to EEE when it reaches the end of life.
Producers that place more than 5 tonnes of EEE onto the UK market (large producer) must:
- register with an environmental compliance scheme to fulfil their legal obligation,
- complete annual or quarterly submissions of your placed on market data for WEEE,
- ensure EEE is marked with the appropriate labelling requirements, i.e. crossed out wheelie bin symbol, the actual date the EEE has gone onto the market, and a producer identification mark, e.g., brand, and
- assess your WEEE distributor obligation and, if required, provide a way for your customers to dispose of their old household EEE.
Producers that place 5 tonnes or less of EEE onto the UK market (small producer) must:
- register directly with the Environment Agency or compliance scheme to fulfil your obligation,
- complete an annual submission of your place on market data for WEEE, and
- ensure EEE is marked with the appropriate labelling requirements i.e. crossed out wheelie bin symbol, the actual date the EEE has gone onto the market, and a producer identification mark, e.g., brand.
Yes, you will have an obligation as a WEEE distributor. A distributor must offer in-store take-back or join the distributor take-back scheme. You can determine your specific take-back obligation with our flowchart graphic.
An Online Marketplace (OMP) is a business that operates a website or mobile application (app) allowing non-UK suppliers to sell or supply their goods into the UK.
The WEEE Regulations now obligate Online Marketplaces for WEEE compliance. OMPs will now be classed as producers under the regulations, and will be required to register with a compliance scheme to finance the collection and treatment of their electrical waste.
For each compliance year, you must report products you put on the market in one of these 15 categories:
- Large household appliances
- Small household appliances
- IT and telecommunications equipment
- Consumer equipment
- Lighting equipment
- Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools)
- Toys, leisure and sports equipment
- Medical devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected products)
- Monitoring and control equipment
- Automatic dispensers
- Display equipment
- Appliances containing refrigerants
- Gas discharge lamps and LED light sources
- PV panels (solar panels)
- Vapes and electronic cigarettes
A new category – Category 15 – has been added to the WEEE Regulations to cover vapes, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products. These items, previously grouped within broader small appliance categories, will now be separately reported and collected under the WEEE Regulations.
A WEEE producer registration number or WEEE PRN is assigned when a producer becomes compliant with the WEEE Regulations. This number can be used to search the public register to prove compliance.
The number serves as proof of the registration of the manufacturer, the brand, and type of electrical or electronic equipment carried out in the country of manufacture. It should be displayed to the customer either on the website or on invoices.
A small producer (placing 5 tonnes or less) can register directly with the Environment Agency; however, a large producer (placing over 5 tonnes) must register through a compliance scheme.
Electricals must be collected and recycled by an Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (AATF). As part of Beyondly’s WEEE Collection service, we work with a UK wide network of AATFs and can facilitate collections for any organisation. Beyondly can, in some cases, offer rebates on collected waste electricals alongside all the required duty of care paperwork.
If your business only sells online or sells less than £100,000 of electrical and electronic equipment per year, you can use the Distributor Take Back Scheme (DTS) instead of providing a take-back service.
If your business sells vapes, you must offer an in-store take back service for used vapes – or set up a Designated Collection Facility (DCF). This allows your customers to drop off all types of electrical and electronic waste for proper recycling.
