This Directive, which deals with the disposal/recycling of electronic and electrical equipment in an environmentally responsible way should have been implemented into UK legislation in 2005. However during the consultation process for the implementing legislation it became clear that there was little, if any, agreement on how the Directive should be implemented. The DTI have recently finished consulting on their latest proposals for implementing the Directive. There is little reason to think that these new proposals will not be adopted so we can now be fairly certain that the following requirements will apply:
- Producers will need to join a WEEE scheme by 15th March next year (Schemes will be approved by the government agency from mid January onwards)
- Producers will need to supply the Scheme with details of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) placed on the UK market in 2006. Those details will be the weight and number of EEE placed on the market for use by consumers and the weight and number of EEE placed on the UK market for business users.
- Producers who supply EEE directly to consumers/business users elsewhere in the EU will also need to supply details of that supply. (This does not include EEE sold through distributors in the EU)
- Producers must mark EEE with the crossed out wheelie bin symbol to indicate that it should not be disposed of through the normal waste stream
- Producers must make relevant information regarding recycling available to the designated treatment facilities that will be processing the EEE at the end of its useful life.
- Distributors will be required to offer either a take-back system or access to authorised collection points where household users can dispose of waste EEE without charge.
- Distributors can join a Scheme or operate their own systems.
- Distributors will not be required to operate a "take-back" system for business EEE.
As soon as the Regulations are adopted and published we will be studying them and putting some guidance on the web-site. There are a number of potential problem areas - e.g. are weighbridges "fixed installations" and therefore exempt from the Directive? - which we will need guidance on from the legislators and enforcement agencies. As soon as the Regulations are in place we will start to chase for responses to these problems. If you have any areas of concern about your obligations under the Directive please let us know so we can add them to our list. | 
