{"id":22171,"date":"2026-05-28T14:44:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T14:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restore.co.uk\/datashred\/?p=22171"},"modified":"2026-05-28T14:44:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T14:44:49","slug":"business-weee-it-recycling-faq-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.restore.co.uk\/datashred\/business-weee-it-recycling-faq-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Business WEEE and IT Recycling"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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What does WEEE stand for?<\/h2>\n

WEEE stands for waste electrical and electronic equipment.<\/p>\n<\/section>\r\n\n\n\r\n

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What is classed as WEEE waste?<\/h2>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

You can easily identify WEEE by looking for the WEEE symbol on an electrical or electronic product.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find this symbol on the majority of items which require a battery or plug to work, or items which can function with more than one product e.g. cables, headphones and computer keyboards. You can find out more about\u00a0what accessories are classed as WEEE here.<\/p>\n

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There are ten WEEE categories outlined by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations:<\/h2>\n
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  1. Large household appliances e.g. fridges, freezers, cookers, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers<\/li>\n
  2. Small household appliances e.g. toasters, vacuum cleaners, blenders and electric grills<\/li>\n
  3. IT and telecommunications equipment e.g. PCs, laptops, printers, scanners and telephones<\/li>\n
  4. Consumer equipment e.g. radios, digital cameras, mobile phones, televisions, hi-fi systems and musical instruments<\/li>\n
  5. Lighting equipment e.g. lightbulbs and tubes, including LEDs and CFLs<\/li>\n
  6. Electrical and electronic tools e.g. drills, screwdrivers, sewing machines and electric lawnmowers<\/li>\n
  7. Toys, leisure and sports equipment e.g. games consoles, electronic gym equipment, mobile phones, activity trackers, electric train sets and headphones<\/li>\n
  8. Medical devices e.g. blood pressure monitors, defibrillators, analysers and medical freezers<\/li>\n
  9. Monitoring and control equipment e.g. smoke detectors and heating regulators<\/li>\n
  10. Automatic dispensers e.g. hot drinks dispensers, automatic soap dispensers and ATMs<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\r\n\n\n\r\n
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    Is WEEE classed as hazardous waste?<\/h2>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Hazardous waste refers to anything that\u2019s considered harmful to humans or the environment. Not all WEEE waste is hazardous\u2014it\u2019s only classed as hazardous if it contains certain chemicals or metals.<\/p>\n

    For example, fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent lightbulbs are classed as hazardous waste as they contain mercury, whereas LED tubes and bulbs aren\u2019t because they don\u2019t contain any hazardous chemicals.<\/p>\n

    However, the majority of electronic and electrical devices, including laptops, computers, monitors and photocopiers, contain some form of hazardous material.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/section>\n\n\r\n

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    How can my business become WEEE certified?<\/h2>\n

    Businesses that are WEEE certified operate approved authorised treatment facilities (AATFs). An AATF can treat waste and issue evidence notes for reuse and treatment on the WEEE they receive.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019d like to find out more about what\u2019s involved in applying for approval, there\u2019s information on the\u00a0Gov.UK website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/section>\r\n\n\n\r\n

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    Is the WEEE directive a law?<\/h2>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Yes, since January 2014 the\u00a0Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013<\/a>\u00a0have been law in the UK. This means any company producing or distributing electronic or electrical waste needs to comply with the WEEE regulations and ensure the waste is disposed of correctly.<\/p>\n

    The onus to handle and dispose of the waste correctly is placed on the waste producers and distributors. This is why many retailers offer a free in-store \u2018take-back\u2019 scheme so customers can return their electronic or electrical devices back to the shop they bought it from, or agree to take away old electrical or electronic items when delivering or fitting new ones.<\/p>\n

    If a producer or distributor doesn\u2019t comply with WEEE Regulations then they could face\u00a0criminal prosecution<\/a>.\u00a0There\u2019s an overview of the regulations that apply to the treatment of WEEE on the\u00a0Environment Law website.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWEEE evidence<\/span><\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/section>\n\n\r\n

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    What are the aims of the WEEE Directive?<\/h2>\n

    The main aim of the WEEE Directive is to reduce the amount of electronic and electrical waste going to landfill.<\/p>\n

    The directive aims to do this by encouraging companies to:<\/p>\n