WEEE that is hazardous waste

Some waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is classified as hazardous/special waste. This includes WEEE that contains:

  • polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
  • ozone depleting substances (ODS) (eg fridges and freezers)
  • asbestos
  • cadmium
  • lead
  • cathode ray tubes (CRTs), found in televisions and older computer monitors.

If you are responsible for disposing of WEEE and it contains hazardous/special waste, you must make sure it is treated at an approved authorised treatment facility.

The equipment must be de-polluted. However, de-pollution will not always remove all hazardous components. The equipment may still need to be treated as hazardous/special waste.
If you bought electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) before 13 August 2005 and there is no like-for-like replacement, you are responsible for ensuring the equipment is disposed of appropriately.

In this guideline: