Meet environmental compliance requirements
- 1 step
UK Statutory Instrument
2013
United Kingdom
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013
At a glance
Enforced by
What's here
55 compliance obligations, 8 practical guides across 2 topics · 3 journeys
Penalty landscape
17 of 55 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 38 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Who this Act binds
Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.
- Operator 19
- Manufacturer 13
- Any Person 8
- Distributor 3
- Trader 1
Plus 11 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
Step-by-step journeys using this legislation
Walkthroughs that take you from a real business situation to compliance.
Relevant guidance
Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.
Direct — cites this Act
2 guidesSupporting — topic alignment
5 guidesMentioned in related content
1 guidesOther Acts binding the same actors
For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.
Operators also bound by 125 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Space Industry Regulations 2021 2021 71 duties
- Payment Services Regulations 2017 2017 41 duties
- Air Navigation Order 2016 2016 34 duties
- The Quarries Regulations 1999 1999 31 duties
- Reservoirs Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 2015 22 duties
Manufacturers also bound by 82 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 2011 27 duties
- Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 2017 25 duties
- Medical Devices Regulations 2002 2002 23 duties
- Lifts Regulations 2016 2016 22 duties
- Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016 2016 21 duties
Any Person also bound by 749 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012 2012 110 duties
- Licensing Act 2003 2003 105 duties
- Merchant Shipping Act 1995 1995 97 duties
- Road Traffic Act 1988 1988 95 duties
- Air Navigation Order 2016 2016 86 duties
Distributors also bound by 33 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 2002 19 duties
- Value Added Tax Regulations 1995 1995 14 duties
- UK REACH Regulation (retained EU law) 2006 11 duties
- Electricity Act 1989 1989 9 duties
- Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (UK CLP) 2008 7 duties
Traders also bound by 219 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Value Added Tax Regulations 1995 1995 952 duties
- TULRCA 1992 1992 39 duties
- Companies Act 2006 2006 39 duties
- Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 2013 39 duties
- The Customs (Import Duty) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 2018 33 duties
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Part 1 — GENERAL
Browse 8 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Interpretation
Service of documents
Meaning of non-UK supplier
Meaning of online marketplace etc.
Meaning of producer
Meaning of “the Basic Safety Standards Directive” and “the Industrial Emissions Directive”
Modification of the Directive
Modification of the Waste Directive
Part 2
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Part 3 — PRODUCER OBLIGATIONS
Financing: WEEE from private households
Unlimited fine- Finance the collection and disposal of household electrical waste Manufacturer
Obligation to join a scheme
Unlimited fine- Join a Producer Compliance Scheme for electrical and electronic equipment Manufacturer
Registration of small producers
- Register as a small producer of electrical and electronic equipment Manufacturer
Application to register as a small producer
- Register as a small producer of electrical and electronic equipment Manufacturer
Small producers: Conditions of registration
Unlimited fine- Keep records and report data if you are a small producer of EEE Manufacturer
Information provided to operators of schemes
Unlimited fine- Provide data and notify changes to your WEEE compliance scheme Manufacturer
Declaration of Compliance
- Submit a yearly WEEE Declaration of Compliance Manufacturer
Record keeping
- Keep records of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) placed on the market Manufacturer
Declaration of EEE producer registration number
- Provide your EEE producer registration number to distributors Manufacturer
Marking EEE with a date mark
Unlimited fine- Mark electrical equipment with a date mark Manufacturer
Information on new types of EEE
- Provide disposal and recycling information for new electrical products Manufacturer
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Financing: WEEE from users other than private households
Marking EEE with the crossed out wheeled bin symbol
Exception for OMP producers
Part 4 — SCHEME OBLIGATIONS
Registration of producers
- Waste scheme operators must register all members with the regulator Operator
Notification of new scheme member
- Scheme operators must notify the authority of new members Operator
Financing: WEEE from private households
- Finance the collection and treatment of household electrical waste Operator
Prioritisation of the reuse of whole appliances
Unlimited fine- Prioritise the reuse of whole appliances when handling WEEE Operator
Recovery
- Ensure waste electrical equipment is recovered or recycled Operator
Payment of a compliance fee
- Pay a compliance fee if WEEE collection targets are not met Operator
Reporting: WEEE during the transitional period
Unlimited fine- Submit quarterly WEEE collection and delivery reports Operator
Reporting: WEEE from 1st January 2019
- Submit quarterly WEEE collection and disposal reports Operator
Reporting: EEE placed on the market during the transitional period
- Compliance schemes must report EEE data for their members Operator
Reporting: EEE placed on the market from 1st January 2019
- Scheme operators must report EEE data for their members Operator
Declaration of compliance
- Submit a yearly WEEE declaration of compliance Operator
Record keeping: transitional period
- Keep detailed records of WEEE collection and disposal Operator
Record keeping: From 1st January 2019
Unlimited fine- Maintain detailed records of WEEE collection and disposal Operator
Obligation to join a PBS
- Join a Producer Compliance Scheme (PCS) for WEEE Any Person
Browse 6 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Application to register producers and authorised representatives
Financing: WEEE from users other than private households
Treatment
Collection Arrangements
Notification of scheme member in liquidation etc. and obligations in relation to that scheme member
PBS: procedure for approval
Part 5 — WEEE
Takeback
Unlimited fine- Provide a free recycling 'takeback' service for electrical waste Distributor
Information
Unlimited fine- Provide WEEE disposal information to household customers Distributor
Record keeping
- Keep records of household WEEE returns and information Distributor
Browse 2 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Part 6
Obligation to optimise the reuse and recycling of WEEE
- Optimise reuse and recycling when collecting or transporting WEEE Any Person
Prohibition on showing the costs of financing the collection, treatment and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE from private households
- Do not show household recycling costs to customers at the time of sale Manufacturer
Shipments of used EEE
- Keep records of exported used electrical equipment for four years Any Person
Browse 5 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Financing obligation: Collection of WEEE from users other than private households
WEEE from private households which presents a health and safety risk
Take back: WEEE from private households
Final holder right of return: WEEE from private households
Notification of an intention to retain WEEE falling within certain WEEE streams
Part 7 — APPROVAL OF PROPOSED SCHEMES AND WITHDRAWAL OF APPROVAL OF SCHEMES
Application for approval of a proposed scheme
- Apply for approval of a WEEE compliance scheme Operator
Notification of a decision to refuse to approve a proposed scheme
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Regulators must notify you of a decision to refuse a waste scheme Statutory regulator
Conditions of approval
- Comply with WEEE scheme operator conditions and notifications Operator
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Withdrawal of approval of a scheme
Charges
Voluntary withdrawal of the approval of a scheme
Part 8
Requirement for approval
Unlimited fine- Only issue WEEE evidence notes if you are an approved operator or exporter Operator
Application for approval
- Apply for approval as an Authorized Treatment Facility (ATF) or exporter Operator
Application for extension of approval of an exporter to an additional site
- Apply to add an export site to your WEEE approval Trader
Conditions of approval
Unlimited fine- Comply with conditions for treating or exporting electronic waste Operator
Reporting
- Submit quarterly WEEE reports and allow regulatory assessments Operator
Record keeping
- Keep records of electrical waste for four years Any Person
Browse 2 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Suspension and cancellation of approval
Charges
Part 9
Evidence notes
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State must approve WEEE evidence note formats Crown / Minister / Government department
Product Design
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State must encourage sustainable product design Crown / Minister / Government department
Duties of the appropriate authority in relation to registration of small producers
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Environment Agency must process small producer registrations within 28 days Statutory regulator
Browse 6 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Distributor take back scheme
Take back: Application to use existing collection facilities
Approval of designated collection facilities
Withdrawal of approval of designated collection facilities
Code of Practice
Approval of compliance fee; methodology and administration
Part 10
Registration of producers and authorised representatives
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Environment Agency must maintain a public register of WEEE producers Statutory regulator
Monitoring
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Environmental authorities must monitor WEEE compliance and data accuracy Statutory regulator
Approval of schemes
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Regulators must register approved WEEE schemes and invoice operators Statutory regulator
Information
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Regulators must publish national data on electrical equipment and waste Statutory regulator
Approval of authorised treatment facilities and exporters
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Regulators must publish lists of approved WEEE facilities and application forms Statutory regulator
Part 11
Disclosure of information
Unlimited fine- Disclose confidential information in breach of WEEE regulations Any Person
Part 12
Determination of appeals
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Regulators must implement appeal decisions regarding WEEE compliance Statutory regulator
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Part 13
Enforcement notice
Unlimited fine- Comply with WEEE enforcement notices or provide evidence of compliance Manufacturer
Entry and inspection
Unlimited fine- Disclose confidential trade‑secret information obtained during inspection Any Person
Browse 1 other section in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Enforcement
Part 14
Offences
Unlimited fine- Fail to comply with WEEE obligations Any Person
Penalties
Unlimited fine- Breach WEEE Regulations (reg 90, 82, 89 etc.) Any Person
Review
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State must review WEEE Regulations every five years Crown / Minister / Government department
Browse 4 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Commencement of proceedings
Consequential amendments
Transitional provisions
Revocations and Savings
Schedules
Browse 7 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
Categories of EEE covered by these Regulations during the transitional period
Categories of EEE applying from 1st January 2019
Crossed out wheeled bin symbol
Information to be included in an application for registration of producers or authorised representatives and notification of new scheme members
Approval of proposed schemes and schemes
Public register
Approval of a PBS
Official guidance
Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.
- HSE: health and safety made simple (opens in a new tab) from HSE Detailed Guidance
- Environment Agency: waste carriers, brokers and dealers (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- GOV.UK: WEEE — guidance (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- GOV.UK: F gas — guidance for users, producers and traders (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- GOV.UK - Deposit Return Scheme (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- GOV.UK - Simpler Recycling (opens in a new tab) Publication
- GOV.UK - Carrier bag charges (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- GOV.UK - Single-use plastics ban (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- GOV.UK - Packaging waste responsibilities (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- Placing manufactured goods on the UK market (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- ... and 7 more
Enforcement and responsible bodies
The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.
Environment Agency
PrimaryEnvironmental protection in England. Regulates waste, emissions, water quality, flood risk, and environmental permits for industrial activities. Enforces environmental law and issues …
Office for Product Safety and Standards
Product safety regulator responsible for ensuring consumer products are safe. Enforces product safety regulations, UKCA marking requirements, and works with market surveillance …
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Northern Ireland's environmental regulator. Part of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Issues environmental permits, regulates waste and emissions, …
Natural Resources Wales
Principal environmental regulator for Wales. Combines functions of Environment Agency Wales, Countryside Council for Wales, and Forestry Commission Wales. Issues environmental permits, …
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