Anyone importing, rebranding or manufacturing electrical or electronic equipment must register with the Environment Agency under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.

 

And prosecution for breaching the regulations can lead to a fine of up to £5,000 in the Magistrates’ Court or an unlimited fine in the Crown Court.

 

The regulations were brought in to reduce the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment being produced and to encourage businesses to reuse, recycle and recover more.

 

Every year, the UK throws away around 2 million tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment, which is one of the fastest-growing types of waste in the UK and the EU.

 

The EU adopted the WEEE regulations to deal with this waste and make sure more is collected for treatment and recovery and less goes to landfill.

 

Manufacturers and importers of electrical equipment now are obliged to offer to take back redundant equipment.

 

Relevant equipment includes computers, televisions, photocopiers, power tools, lighting, large and small household appliances, and toys.

 

The regulations, which came into force in early 2007, also apply to businesses which sell or are disposing of electrical or electronic equipment and aim to prevent illegal exports.

 

Working equipment can be sold for re-use in the UK or abroad but some unscrupulous contractors will acquire and illegally export broken equipment, mis-describing it as refurbished or second-hand and working.

 

The Environment Agency is working with regulators in the UK and overseas to catch rogue operators illegally exporting waste electrical and electronic equipment abroad, where items often are dismantled in unsafe conditions and the remains dumped, both of which pollute the environment and pose a risk to human health.

 

“We are happy to give advice to businesses about their obligations and I would urge anyone needing guidance to call us on 08708 506 506 or visit our website,” said North East Environment Manager Julian Carrington.

 

“We’re always looking, in a variety of ways, to identify companies which potentially should be registered.

 

“We will contact businesses to check and, if we discover they should have been registered, it is our policy to prosecute. If we prosecute, we will bring charges for every year that the business was not registered.”

 

On registering, businesses pay a registration fee and confirm how much electrical and electronic equipment they deal with each year.

 

A compliant business has a responsibility to meet the cost of treating and recovering waste electrical and electronic equipment and there are different collection and funding arrangements for domestic and non-domestic equipment.

 

When disposing of any waste, including waste electrical and electronic equipment, all businesses must ensure that their waste goes to a registered waste operator which will deal with it correctly and within the law.

 

More information about WEEE and businesses’ responsibilities under the regulations can be found at the Environment Agency website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/weee