Producer Responsibility: Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and hazardous waste
With effect from July 2004 hazardous waste and non-hazardous waste could no longer be disposed of in the same landfill, including separately collected fractions of hazardous household waste. Hazardous waste is now subject to treatment and acceptance criteria before it may be disposed at a landfill permitted to take it.
The de-polluting activities under the WEEE Directive are narrower in scope than the hazard classifications under the Hazardous Waste List i.e. de-pollution as required by the WEEE Directive will not necessarily result in the removal of all hazardous components.
Reports
Defra commissioned two research studies to improve understanding and provide clarity on the hazardousness of items of domestic WEEE likely to be delivered to Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs - formerly known as Civic Amenity sites)
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WEEE and hazardous waste
(1.1 MB - note large file) - March 2004 -
WEEE and hazardous waste Part 2
(429 KB) - June 2006 - Defra's Information and Briefing on research studies including Q&A (35 KB) - July 2006
Background
Estimates suggest the UK produces around 900,000 tonnes of WEEE per year from domestic sources alone; additional WEEE arises from shops, offices and industrial premises.
The WEEE Directive (2002/96/EEC) aims to increase the separate collection, reuse, recovery and recycling of waste from electrical and electronic equipment.
The WEEE Directive sets out minimum technical requirements for the treatment of the WEEE at authorised treatment facilities prior to recycling and recovery of materials, and specifies a number of de-polluting activities that must be carried out.
Some WEEE will be classified as hazardous waste under the revised European Community Hazardous Waste List transposed in England by the List of Waste (England) Regulations 2005.
Hazardous wastes are subject to controls and management in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Directive (91/689/EEC), which is transposed in England by the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005.
Further information
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Page published: 31 July 2006