Do the WEEE Regulations apply to your business?

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations apply to almost all businesses. You will need to comply with them if your business:

  • manufactures electrical and electronic equipment (EEE)
  • imports EEE
  • re-brands EEE
  • distributes EEE
  • sells EEE
  • stores WEEE
  • treats WEEE
  • dismantles WEEE
  • recycles WEEE
  • disposes of WEEE
  • uses WEEE
  • repairs or refurbishes WEEE.
You can use the Environment Agency WEEE decision tree pages to help you determine whether the WEEE Regulations apply to you. This guidance also applies to Northern Ireland and Scotland.

‘Historic’ and ‘future’ WEEE

WEEE products are also categorised depending on when they were placed onto the UK market. The responsibility for WEEE disposal differs for historic and future WEEE. This responsibility affects both producers and businesses that use EEE.

Products placed onto the market before 13 August 2005 are called ‘historic WEEE’.
Products placed onto the market after 13 August 2005 are called ‘future WEEE’.

In this guideline: