Waste Electrical and Electronic Regulations 2013
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013 are the primary UK legislation governing the disposal and recycling of electrical items. They aim to minimize landfill waste and promote recycling by placing obligations on producers, retailers, and distributors of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) [1].
These regulations were amended in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Amendment, etc.) Regulations 2025.
Definition of EEE
EEE means equipment [2]:
- which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields to work properly
- used 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
‘Dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields to work properly’ means that the equipment needs electric currents or electromagnetic fields (not petrol or gas) to fulfil its basic function. So when the electric current is off, the equipment cannot fulfil its basic function.
Where electrical energy is only used for support or control functions, the equipment is not covered by the regulations. Equipment that only needs a spark to start it (electronic ignition) and does not need electricity to fulfil its basic function includes:
- petrol lawn mowers
- gas stoves
Electrical or electronic versions of standard products such as electric toothbrushes and electric suitcases are EEE products [2].
Products that are not connected to a mains supply may still be EEE. They can be wind-up, battery-powered and solar-powered products.
Where a product has several functions and only one needs an electrical current, the product may still be EEE.
What is covered?
The regulations do not apply to [1]:
- products for military use
- a piece of equipment designed for and installed in another type of equipment which can only function within that product, for example a built-in satellite navigation system installed into cars, boats or aeroplanes
- filament bulbs apart from LED filament bulbs, to which the regulations do apply
- equipment designed to be sent into space
- large-scale stationary industrial tools
- large-scale fixed installations which perform specific industrial operations
- transport for persons or goods, excluding electric 2 wheeled vehicles which are not type-approved
- off-road mobile machinery for professional use only
- equipment designed only for research and development use and only available via business to business (B2B)
- implantable medical devices
- medical devices that are infective at end-of-life
Extent of Obligation
Producers who [1]:
- manufacture and sell EEE under their own brand in the United Kingdom (UK)
- buy EEE and then make changes to rebrand the product and resell to the UK market. (If the maker’s brand appears on the equipment, then they are the producer)
- import EEE on a commercial basis into the UK
- are established outside of the UK and supply EEE directly to the UK end-user by distance selling, for example, online, mail order or by phone
- operators of online marketplaces (OMPs) who place EEE on the UK market from non-UK based suppliers.
- Distributors (including retailers) who make EEE available on the UK market, including by distance selling.
Producers may also be distributors and can often be the same business. However, private individuals importing products are not liable to comply with the regulations [1].
Categories of WEEE
Under the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, all discarded electrical and electronic goods are classified into 15 specific reporting categories. These are [2]:
- Large household appliances (e.g., cookers, washing machines)
- Small household appliances (e.g., toasters, vacuum cleaners)
- IT and telecommunications equipment (e.g., laptops, telephones, printers)
- Consumer equipment (e.g., televisions, radios, hi-fi systems)
- Lighting equipment (e.g., fluorescent tubes)
- Electrical and electronic tools (e.g., electric drills, saws)
- Toys, leisure and sports equipment (e.g., video consoles, running machines)
- Medical devices (excluding implanted or infected products)
- Monitoring and control equipment (e.g., smoke detectors, thermostats)
- Automatic dispensers (e.g., ATMs, hot drink dispensers)
- Display equipment (e.g., standalone computer monitors, digital screens)
- Appliances containing refrigerants (e.g., refrigerators, freezers)
- Gas discharge lamps and LED light sources (e.g., LED bulbs)
- PV panels (solar panels)
- Vapes and electronic cigarettes (includes heated tobacco products
Producer Obligations
All producers of WEEE must register annually. How they register depends on how much WEEE they placed on the market in the previous and current calendar year (compliance year) [1]:
- Less than 5 tonnes of EEE in the compliance year - producers can register directly with their environmental regulator as a small producer
- More than 5 tonnes of EEE placed on the market, producers need to join a producer compliance scheme PCS).
The PCS takes on their obligations to finance the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of household WEEE collected in the UK.
The weight of any batteries in this EEE must be subtracted and reported separately, under the regulations covering waste batteries.
Ensure a ‘crossed out wheeled bin’ symbol of appropriate size as per the BSI EN50419 standard is displayed on the product.
Within one year of placing new EEE on the UK market, producers must ensure that information is made available on the reprocessing of EEE components and materials.
Retain all relevant documentation for at least four years.
Distributor Obligations
All distributors must [1]:
- offer free takeback on WEEE
- accept WEEE for free from customers supplied with like-for-like products, regardless of whether this is done in store, online or by mail order
- retain a record of all WEEE taken back for at least four years
- provide customers access to written information on the service provided and what they should do with their WEEE.
Retailers with a sales area of EEE greater than 400 square metres must also accept small WEEE (less than 25 cm on its longest side) for free from private household customers at their retail site or close to it without the requirement to purchase new EEE [1].
If a business sells less than £100,000 of EEE per year or is solely an online EEE retailer, or both, they can join the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS). Vape retailers are excluded from DTS [1].
