UK and European electronics waste legislation and guidance
Europe is the first continent to introduce comprehensive waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) legislation to reduce reliance on landfill and ensure hazardous e-waste is dealt with in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. Sims Recycling Solutions meets and often exceeds legislative requirements in transporting and processing waste electronics and recycled materials.
Find out about the relevant legislations below:
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is the EU’s primary driver to achieving a higher level of environmental protection and encouraging resource efficiency. It sets targets for the collection, reuse and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment.
Producers (or distributors) of electrical and electronic products are obligated to:
- Register with the competent authority nominated by each EU member state to track producer compliance and provide estimates of the weight of equipment intended to be put on each national market annually
- Arrange acceptable financial guarantees to meet obligations arising in each member state
- Ensure that appropriate data is collected to be able to demonstrate compliance in each relevant member state
The WEEE Directive also places responsibilities on householders, operators of producer compliance schemes, retailers, business users and local authorities. Sims Recycling Solutions abides by the Waste Management Industry obligations in the WEEE Directive.
For further information, visit the Environment Agency website (England and Wales) or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
The Restriction of Hazardous Waste (RoHS) Directive deals with the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. This targets the manufacturers of products to minimise the possibility of known hazardous substances being used in new equipment and potentially entering the environment over the course of the product's lifecycle.
View information on the RoHS Directive on the Department for Business Innovation and Skills website, including 2009 updates.
The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 address disposal of waste that contains hazardous properties that may render it harmful to human health or the environment. Amends in April 2009 changed the qualifying limitation and clarified other provisions in the 2005 Regulations.
Further information can be obtained on the DEFRA website.
Scottish guidance on special waste can be found on the SEPA website.
The Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations have been implemented to control the movement of waste (including recyclable materials) between countries. The regulations require auditable trails of all waste materials being exported, imported and moved across country borders.
The Environment Agency provides guidance on international waste shipments for English and Welsh organisations. Click to view the Environment Agency waste export guidelines.
The SEPA website provides guidance on transfrontier shipment of waste to Scottish organisations.