Importing and exporting waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
Rules for shipping WEEE into and out of England from 1 January 2025. How to check you are using the correct code and control.
Applies to England
Check the guidance on waste export and import for the overall rules. This guide just applies to WEEE.
Shipping WEEE for recovery in European Union (EU) and OECD countries
From 1 January 2025, you must notify all WEEE if you’re shipping it for recovery in:
The new codes are:
- Y49 for non-hazardous WEEE
- A1181 for hazardous WEEE
You do not have to notify WEEE-derived waste if it can be correctly described using a code under the Article 18 (green list) controls.
Use International Waste Shipments (IWS) online to notify your waste.
From 1 January 2025, the following waste shipment codes will no longer exist:
- GC010
- GC020
- B4030
You can still export WEEE-derived metal and plastic under Article 18 (green list) controls if the waste can be accurately described by these codes. For example, B1010 for metal wastes and B3011 for waste plastics. But you must notify the wastes if they contain hazardous characteristics.
Y49 (non-hazardous)
You must class waste as Y49 if it is:
- WEEE that does not contain hazardous characteristics
- WEEE where none of the components contain hazardous characteristics
- waste components of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) that do not contain hazardous characteristics
- WEEE-derived waste that does not contain hazardous characteristics
A1181 (hazardous)
You must class waste as A1181 if it:
- is WEEE that contains hazardous characteristics
- is WEEE where a component contains hazardous characteristics
- is waste components of EEE containing hazardous characteristics
- is WEEE-derived waste containing hazardous characteristics
- contains PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) or PBBs (polybrominated biphenyls) above 50mg per kilogram
Definition of ‘component’
A component includes:
- glass from cathode-ray tubes
- a battery containing lead, cadmium or mercury
- a switch, lamp, fluorescent tube or a display device backlight which contains mercury
- a capacitor containing PCBs
- a compressor containing asbestos
- certain circuit boards
- certain display devices
- certain plastic components containing a brominated flame retardant
Entries A1181 and Y49 do not cover components that are specifically covered elsewhere. For example, hazardous waste batteries may be covered by entry A1170 or non-hazardous waste batteries may be covered by entry B1090.
WEEE-derived waste that has been processed to an extent that it is covered by specific other entries is not considered electrical and electronic waste. For example:
- metal waste derived from WEEE may be covered by entries A1010 or B1010
- plastic waste may be covered by entries AC300, B3011 or Y48
Shipping WEEE for recovery in non-OECD countries
You must notify and receive consent to ship WEEE coded Y49 as previously described.
Use IWS online to notify your waste.
You must not ship hazardous WEEE to non-OECD countries.
How to check you are using the correct code and control
You can use the waste export controls tool to work out the correct code and control for your WEEE shipment. But this is only a guide. Before shipping, always check the controls with the transit and destination countries.
You can also use the Waste Shipment Regulations: consolidated waste list.
Classification of specific items or types of WEEE
For WEEE compressors, including shredded compressors or waste derived from WEEE compressors, you should use:
- Y49 if it’s depolluted
- A1181 if it’s not depolluted
If shredded compressors are mixed with other waste, it remains WEEE. If the compressors were hazardous, then the mixed waste will be hazardous.
You should not classify WEEE compressor waste as B1010. You can use B1010 for metal derived from WEEE compressors which has been separated appropriately.
Use A1181 for printed circuit boards.
Exporting WEEE, treated WEEE and used EEE containing hazardous substances or persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
You must only export hazardous waste to an EU, European Free Trade Association or OECD country. And you must follow their local controls.
You should check if the POPs concentration limits that apply in the destination or transit countries are lower than those that apply in the UK.
You must notify the export of all hazardous waste using IWS online.
You must not ship hazardous wastes to non-OECD countries.
You can only export waste for recovery. Exporting waste for disposal is not permitted. Recovery options for POPs waste are limited to techniques that destroy the POPs. For example, incineration with energy recovery or recycling or reclamation of metals and metal compounds, under the conditions set out in Annex V Part 1 of the POPs regulations.
If you are exporting used EEE for reuse, it must not be classed as waste. See the legal definition of waste guidance to check when an item is classed as waste. You must check the destination countries import requirements as some do not accept second hand EEE.
Most electronic scrap and reclaimed electronic components are likely to contain hazardous substances. These include but are not limited to:
- POPs such as some brominated flame retardants in plastic casings, printed circuit boards and cables
- batteries and accumulators
- heavy metals such as antimony, cadmium, mercury and nickel
If you wish to ship using the non-hazardous code (Y49), you must document evidence of any testing or pre-treatment done to remove all hazardous components. If you cannot do this, you must ship the waste as hazardous waste.
Updates to this page
Last updated 30 September 2024 + show all updates
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Updated the 'Definition of 'component'' section to correct an error. Needed to say "plastic waste may be covered by entries AC300, B3011 or Y48".
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First published.