Guidance

Reusing waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and components removed from WEEE

Check if an item of WEEE or a component removed from WEEE is a waste or non-waste item and, if it is waste, identify if it contains persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Applies to England

You must:

Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) manufactured after 1 January 2009, is much less likely to contain polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) POPs. Their use should have stopped for products selling in Europe. However, POPs have been found in some equipment manufactured years after this date.

Reusing WEEE within the UK

You must only reuse WEEE, or components removed from WEEE, as EEE within the UK if both of the following apply:

  • the WEEE device was manufactured after 1 January 2009 (you should check the manufacturing date if unsure)
  • you have met all the other relevant requirements for reusing WEEE or components removed from WEEE – we will publish guidance about the requirements by the end of January 2023

Exporting WEEE

You must only export WEEE, or components removed from WEEE, as EEE if the item is not POPs waste.

To export WEEE devices, you must demonstrate that the whole device does not contain POPs above the concentration limits. POPs may be found in any of the following:

  • printed circuit boards
  • cables and internal wiring
  • plastic components

To export components removed from WEEE, you must demonstrate that the component does not contain POPs:

  • if the component is from a device that is POPs waste
  • at or above the concentration limits, if the component is not from a device that is POPs waste

You must also meet all other relevant requirements for reusing WEEE.

Contact the Environment Agency

Email POPsinwaste@environment-agency.gov.uk

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

Updates to this page

Published 19 December 2022

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