Obligations on businesses supplying household EEE- B2C
If you are a producer of EEE that ultimately will end in the household waste stream, you are required to finance collection and recycling of household WEEE deposited at Designated Collection Facilities (DCFs) or in-store take-back (e.g. civic amenity centres and high street retailers). You will be responsible for a proportion of the WEEE arising in each category of WEEE that you have placed on the market, given by your market share of this EEE. If you sell your EEE directly to household end users, you will also pick up “distributor” obligations.
From 1 July 2007, distributors of new EEE to household end users must:
- Provide a take-back service enabling householders to return their WEEE free of charge.
- Provide information to consumers in relation to the environmental impacts of their products and the separate collection of household WEEE,
- Make and retain records of the information provided, and any household WEEE received.
To fulfil your take-back obligations, you can either offer your own free of charge take-back service, or join the Distributor Take-back Scheme (DTS).
Obligations on businesses supplying non-household EEE – B2B
In respect of non-household equipment, producers are responsible for financing the costs of collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of WEEE, where the product was put on the market after 13 August 2005, and it is subsequently discarded by the business end user. In this case, you are required to provide arrangements for collection and recycling of the waste equipment from the business end-users premises, using a licensed waste carrier.
Distributor obligations do not apply to sales of non-household EEE. However, when you sell non-household EEE, you should make sure that your supplier provides you with their producer registration number to show that they are registered and complying with their obligation. As an end-user buying from an intermediary, you should ensure that they pass on information about which producer is responsible for it so that you know who to contact to arrange disposal at the end of its life.
Obligations on business end users of EEE
Different rules apply to non-household WEEE put on the market before 13 August 2005 (referred to as historic WEEE). Where old equipment from businesses users is replaced by a new equivalent product, the producer is responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal when supplying the new products. However, if no like-for-like replacement is made, then the end user is responsible for arranging and financing its collection.
The regulations allow producers and business users to agree alternative financing arrangements, as part of normal negotiating processes for supply contracts.
Import and Export of EEE
If you are importing EEE from overseas and a producer has not registered for this EEE, you will be regarded as the producer having put that EEE on the UK market.
If you sell direct to an end-user in another EU country, and no importer takes over ownership, then you are a distant seller. You are required to keep records of how you have complied with your obligations in that country.
Next page