Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment: Difference between revisions

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[[Category:Tonnage & Waste Types]][[Category:Targets & Metrics]]

[[Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment]] ([[WEEE]]), also known as [[E-waste]], is end of life Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE), i.e. items that require electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to operate. The [[EA]] reported<ref name="ref1">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee-in-the-uk</ref> that 1.9 million tonnes of EEE was placed on the market in the UK in 2024, with ~~498~~,~~135~~ tonnes of [[WEEE]] collected.

[[Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment]] ([[WEEE]]), also known as [[E-waste]], is end of life Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE), i.e. items that require electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to operate. The [[EA]] reported<ref name="ref1">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee-in-the-uk</ref> that 1.9 million tonnes of EEE was placed on the market in the UK in 2024, with 504,143 tonnes of [[WEEE]] collected.

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===Background===

[[WEEE]] was first introduced by the [[WEEE Directive]] in 2002 to address the environmental impacts of unwanted electrical and electronic equipment at end-of-life and disposal. WEEE is classed as either household (primarily [[EWCChap20|EWC 20 01 35]] and [[EWCChap20|20 01 36]]) or non-household ([[EWCChap16|EWC 16 02 09* to 16]]). The objective of the Directive and its transposed legislation~~, the [[Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2007, as amended]]~~ is to promote recycling and minimise waste by putting the emphasis for end-of-life treatment and recovery on the original producers or distributors of the items.

[[WEEE]] was first introduced by the [[WEEE Directive]] in 2002 to address the environmental impacts of unwanted electrical and electronic equipment at end-of-life and disposal. WEEE is classed as either household (primarily [[EWCChap20|EWC 20 01 35]] and [[EWCChap20|20 01 36]]) or non-household ([[EWCChap16|EWC 16 02 09* to 16]]). The objective of the Directive and its transposed legislation is to promote recycling and minimise waste by putting the emphasis for end-of-life treatment and recovery on the original producers or distributors of the items.

In the 2019-21 House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee Report<ref>[https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/3675/documents/35777/default/ Electronic Waste and the Circular Economy]</ref> it identifies the UK as the second highest generator of [[E-waste]] per person in the world, after Norway, at 23.9kg per person.

[[~~The~~ Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (as amended)]] is the ~~current~~ underpinning UK legislation <ref>~~Office for Product Safety and Standards, 2018. [~~https://www.gov.uk/guidance/regulations-waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment ~~Regulations: waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). GOV.UK.] [online] [Accessed 5 Dec. 2019]~~</ref>. ~~In 2020 a parlimentary enquiry called for a number of changes~~ to ~~improve~~ the ~~recycling~~ of [[~~WEEE~~]] ~~including~~ the ~~reporting by value rather than weight~~<ref>[https://~~cdn~~.ca.~~emap.com~~/~~wp-content~~/~~uploads/sites/6/2020/11~~/electronic-~~Waste~~-~~and~~-the-~~Circular~~-~~Economy.pdf Electronic Waste~~ and the ~~Circular Economy]~~</ref>.

In 2020 a parlimentary enquiry called for a number of changes to improve the recycling of [[WEEE]] including the reporting by value rather than weight<ref>[https://cdn.ca.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/11/electronic-Waste-and-the-Circular-Economy.pdf Electronic Waste and the Circular Economy]</ref>.

[[Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (as amended)]] is the underpinning UK legislation which were amended in the [[Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Amendment, etc.) Regulations 2025]]<ref>https://www.gov.uk/guidance/regulations-waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment</ref>. The 2025 amendment extended responsibility to online marketplaces and added Vapes to the categories of WEEE.

Guidance was updated by the [[EA]] in August 2025 on what WEEE is covered by the WEEE Regulations<ref>https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-eee-covered-by-the-weee-regulations/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-eee-covered-by-the-weee-regulations</ref>.

===Categories===

The regulations identify 10 broad categories of WEEE, including:

The regulations identify 15 broad categories of WEEE, including:

#Large household appliances e.g. fridges, cookers, microwaves, washing machines and dishwashers

#Small household appliances e.g. vacuum cleaners, irons, toasters and clocks

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Category:Tonnage & Waste Types]][[Category:Targets & Metrics]]
-[[Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment]] ([[WEEE]]), also known as [[E-waste]], is end of life Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE),  i.e. items that require electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to operate. The [[EA]] reported<ref name="ref1">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee-in-the-uk</ref> that 1.9 million tonnes of EEE was placed on the market in the UK in 2024, with 498,135 tonnes of [[WEEE]] collected.
+[[Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment]] ([[WEEE]]), also known as [[E-waste]], is end of life Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE),  i.e. items that require electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to operate. The [[EA]] reported<ref name="ref1">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee-in-the-uk</ref> that 1.9 million tonnes of EEE was placed on the market in the UK in 2024, with 504,143 tonnes of [[WEEE]] collected.
 [[File:Electrical-waste-uk.jpg|300px|left|WEEE - Picture from BioEnergy Consult, All Rights Reserved]]__TOC__
 <br clear='left'/>
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 ===Background===
-[[WEEE]] was first introduced by the [[WEEE Directive]] in 2002 to address the environmental impacts of unwanted electrical and electronic equipment at end-of-life and disposal. WEEE is classed as either household (primarily [[EWCChap20|EWC 20 01 35]] and [[EWCChap20|20 01 36]]) or non-household ([[EWCChap16|EWC 16 02 09* to 16]]). The objective of the Directive and its transposed legislation, the [[Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2007, as amended]] is to promote recycling and minimise waste by putting the emphasis for end-of-life treatment and recovery on the original producers or distributors of the items.
+[[WEEE]] was first introduced by the [[WEEE Directive]] in 2002 to address the environmental impacts of unwanted electrical and electronic equipment at end-of-life and disposal. WEEE is classed as either household (primarily [[EWCChap20|EWC 20 01 35]] and [[EWCChap20|20 01 36]]) or non-household ([[EWCChap16|EWC 16 02 09* to 16]]). The objective of the Directive and its transposed legislation is to promote recycling and minimise waste by putting the emphasis for end-of-life treatment and recovery on the original producers or distributors of the items.
 In the 2019-21 House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee Report<ref>[https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/3675/documents/35777/default/ Electronic Waste and the Circular Economy]</ref> it identifies the UK as the second highest generator of [[E-waste]] per person in the world, after Norway, at 23.9kg per person.
-[[The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (as amended)]] is the current underpinning UK legislation <ref>Office for Product Safety and Standards, 2018. [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/regulations-waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment Regulations: waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). GOV.UK.] [online] [Accessed 5 Dec. 2019]</ref>. In 2020 a parlimentary enquiry called for a number of changes to improve the recycling of [[WEEE]] including the reporting by value rather than weight<ref>[https://cdn.ca.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/11/electronic-Waste-and-the-Circular-Economy.pdf Electronic Waste and the Circular Economy]</ref>.
+In 2020 a parlimentary enquiry called for a number of changes to improve the recycling of [[WEEE]] including the reporting by value rather than weight<ref>[https://cdn.ca.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/11/electronic-Waste-and-the-Circular-Economy.pdf Electronic Waste and the Circular Economy]</ref>.
+[[Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (as amended)]] is the underpinning UK legislation which were amended in the [[Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Amendment, etc.) Regulations 2025]]<ref>https://www.gov.uk/guidance/regulations-waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment</ref>. The 2025 amendment extended responsibility to online marketplaces and added Vapes to the categories of WEEE.
+Guidance was updated by the [[EA]] in August 2025 on what WEEE is covered by the WEEE Regulations<ref>https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-eee-covered-by-the-weee-regulations/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-eee-covered-by-the-weee-regulations</ref>.
 ===Categories===
-The regulations identify 10 broad categories of WEEE, including:
+The regulations identify 15 broad categories of WEEE, including:
 #Large household appliances e.g. fridges, cookers, microwaves, washing machines and dishwashers
 #Small household appliances e.g. vacuum cleaners, irons, toasters and clocks