About the WEEE Directive

This page provides general information about the WEEE Directive.

What is the WEEE Directive?

The production of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is one of the fastest growing fields of manufacturing in the western world. With broad consumer take-up of products in this area, the associated generation of electronic waste is on the rise. In June 2000, the European Commission put forward proposals to address this issue, and in January 2003, these were passed as the EU Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive. Such proposals were updated in the WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU.

The major provisions of the WEEE Directive are:

  • All producers (manufacturers, or anyone selling a product on the market in the EU) are liable to pay for take-back, treatment and recycling of end-of-life equipment.
  • All producers have the obligation to improve re-use/recycling of WEEE.
  • All producers have the obligation to ensure the separate collection of WEEE.
  • All producers have the obligation to inform the public about their role in dealing with WEEE.

According to the EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), all producers of EEE (Electrical and Electronic Equipment) are liable to finance take-back systems, waste treatment, and recycling of equipment they place on the market, at the end of their lifecycle.

Amazon complies with the WEEE Directive regulations by financing it, creating solutions that encourage the safe disposal of electrical and electronic items, and raising awareness of recycling. You can also contribute to the WEEE Directive by disposing of your equipment responsibly and ecologically.

How does Amazon EU S.à.r.l ensure safe disposal of my WEEE?

Amazon is a registered member of ERP UK [external link] Ltd WEEE Producer Compliance Scheme with the following WEEE Producer Registration Number: WEEE/AD1283ST. They look after the collection, treatment and recycling of electronic equipment at the end of its life-cycle.

In this way Amazon EU S.à.r.l. can ensure that WEEE is disposed of by customers in a way that optimises its re-use and recycling. The recycling and treatment of WEEE itself is part of the producer's obligation under the WEEE Directive.

Where applicable, the prices of EEE items you buy from Amazon.co.uk for delivery in the United Kingdom includes environmental contributions to this system, to ensure that the WEEE is collected and recycled in a responsible manner.

What are Amazon EU S.à.r.l.'s obligations according to the WEEE Directive?

As a distributor and importer of EEE, Amazon EU S.à.r.l. must allow its customers to recycle household WEEE. For this reason, Amazon EU S.à.r.l. joined ERP UK [external link] a compliance system licensed by the Government of the United Kingdom under WEEE Producer Registration Number: WEEE/ AD1283ST. By joining ERP UK, Amazon EU S.à.r.l is contributing to the establishment of a network of authorised recycling collection points where consumers may dispose of their WEEE free of charge for recycling and treatment in an ecologically sound manner.

Which products fall under the legislation and how do I recognise them?

The WEEE directive divides Electronic and Electrical Equipment into six categories. You can find list of categories and equipment that belongs to them below:

  • Category 1 - Temperature exchange equipment (Refrigerators, Freezers, Equipment which automatically delivers cold products, Air conditioning equipment, Dehumidifying equipment, Heat pumps, Radiators containing oil and other temperature exchange equipment using fluids other than water for the temperature exchange)
  • Category 2 - Screens, monitors, and equipment containing screens having a surface greater than 100 cm2 (Screens, Televisions, LCD photo frames, Monitors, Laptops, Notebooks)
  • Category 3 - Lamps (Straight fluorescent lamps, Compact fluorescent lamps, Fluorescent lamps, High intensity discharge lamps - including pressure sodium lamps and metal halide lamps, Low pressure sodium lamps, LED)
  • Category 4 - Large equipment (any external dimension more than 50 cm) including, but not limited to household appliances; IT and telecommunication equipment; consumer equipment; luminaires; equipment reproducing sound or images, musical equipment; electrical and electronic tools; toys, leisure and sports equipment; medical devices; monitoring and control instruments; automatic dispensers; equipment for the generation of electric currents. This category does not include equipment included in categories 1 to 3. (Washing machines, Clothes dryers, Dish washing machines, Cookers, Electric stoves, Electric hot plates, Luminaires, Equipment reproducing sound or images, Musical equipment (excluding pipe organs installed in churches), Appliances for knitting and weaving, Large computer-mainframes and so on.).
  • Category 5 - Small equipment (no external dimension more than 50 cm) including, but not limited to household appliances; consumer equipment; luminaires; equipment reproducing sound or images, musical equipment; electrical and electronic tools; toys, leisure and sports equipment; medical devices; monitoring and control instruments; automatic dispensers; equipment for the generation of electric currents. This category does not include equipment included in categories 1 to 3 and 6. (Vacuum cleaners, Carpet sweepers, Appliances for sewing, Microwaves, Ventilation equipment, Irons, Toasters, Electric knives, Electric kettles, Clocks and Watches, Electric shavers, Scales and so on.)
  • Category 6 - Small IT and telecommunication equipment (no external dimension more than 50 cm) (Mobile phones, GPS, Pocket calculators, Routers, Personal computers, Printers, Telephones)

Glossary

  • DCF (Designated Collection Facility): A public amenity site licensed to collect, separate and recycle WEEE for collection by a licensed producer compliance scheme.
  • DTS (Distributor Take-back Scheme): The WEEE compliance scheme for retailers, approved by the Department for Trade and Industry
  • EEE: Electronic and Electrical Equipment
  • WEEE: Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment - all end-of-life equipment falling under the WEEE Directive (for the specific categories see section "Which products fall under the legislation and how do I recognise them?" above).

For more information on how to recycle WEEE products, visit Recycle Electrical or Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

For more information about recycling with Amazon, visit Recycling at Amazon.