Exemptions from the WEEE Regulations

Some types of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) are exempt from the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations. They include the following equipment:

• Equipment that does not use electricity from batteries, mains supply or electromagnetic fields to fulfil its main function. The WEEE Regulations do cover equipment that uses solar panels and clockwork (wind-up) mechanisms to generate electricity.
• Equipment that is part of another type of equipment that is not covered by the WEEE Regulations. However, other waste regulations may apply to them, for example the End-of-Life Vehicle Regulations cover the electrical components of vehicles.
• Equipment designed to protect the UK’s national security.
• Filament light bulbs.
• Household light fittings of any kind.
• Large scale industrial tools, permanently fixed in industrial machinery or an industrial location.
• High-voltage equipment that is designed for use with a voltage rating exceeding 1,000 volts AC or 1,500 volts DC.
• Contaminated medical implants and medical equipment.
• Spare parts that are used to repair EEE.

Consumables for EEE, such as printer cartridges, are also exempt. However the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Regulations may still apply to them.

You must register with your environmental regulator before you carry out certain activities. These include repairing, refurbishing and storing EEE.

If your business repairs or refurbishes WEEE to be resold and reused you will usually be able to register an exemption from environmental permitting (England and Wales) or waste management licensing (Northern Ireland and Scotland). It will be subject to certain restrictions and your environmental regulator will need to inspect your business premises and will charge you a fee to cover this cost.

You will need to renew your registration every three years in England and Wales and every year in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The renewal fee is less than the registered fee.

Northern Ireland

Scotland

In England and Wales you can register an exemption to collect and store up to 400 cubic metres of WEEE for up to six months before it is taken for recovery somewhere else.

In Northern Ireland and Scotland you can register an exemption to collect and store up to 80 cubic metres of each of several types of WEEE for up to three months before before it is taken for recovery somewhere else.

If you store WEEE for recovery somewhere else you must:

• store WEEE securely so that it does not get damaged, preventing reuse or treatment
• use a storage site with an appropriate weatherproof covering and impermeable surfaces, with a bund where appropriate, to stop hazardous substances from escaping
• comply with the conditions of your exemption.

You do not need to register an exemption if you are:

• a retailer taking part in an in-store take-back scheme for household WEEE
• a business storing your own WEEE.

England and Wales

Scotland

Dismantling WEEE (England and Wales)

If you want to dismantle WEEE into its components before it is taken away for recycling, refurbishing or recovery you can do so without an environmental permit if:

• you handle 1,000 tonnes or less of WEEE per year
• you dismantle and store the WEEE safely
• you dismantle and store the WEEE carefully so it can be recovered
• you store the components safely under waterproof covering and on impermeable surfaces
• you prevent the release of CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs and other hazardous substances.

Environment Agency: Dismantling of WEEE regulatory position statement (Adobe PDF - 74KB)

In Northern Ireland and Scotland if you want to dismantle WEEE you will need a waste management licence.

In this guideline: