EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive Testing Service

WEEE Directive

1. Introduction to the WEEE Directive

The WEEE Directive is the abbreviation for the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, known in Chinese as the "EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment." It is often referred to in the industry as the sister directive to RoHS. The 2002/96/EC directive introduced in 2003 is commonly known as WEEE 1.0, while WEEE 2.0 is the replacement directive 2012/19/EU, which officially came into effect on August 13, 2012.

The WEEE Directive aims to regulate the collection, recycling, and reuse of electronic waste, including the provision of electronic waste collection sites and treatment systems to facilitate proper handling and disposal of electronic waste. The directive requires member states to encourage enterprises to design and produce electrical and electronic equipment in a way that facilitates disassembly and recycling.

2. Core Content

From August 13, 2005, producers of electrical and electronic equipment circulating in the EU market must legally bear the responsibility for paying the costs of recycling end-of-life products. At the same time, EU member states are obligated to develop their own recycling plans for electrical and electronic products, establish corresponding recycling facilities, and enable end-users to conveniently and free of charge dispose of end-of-life equipment.

Producer Responsibilities: Design environmentally friendly products that comply with RoHS directive requirements and register with EU member states.

Product Labeling Requirements: Producer's name, production date, and relevant marks (including the recycling "WEEE" mark).

3. Applicable Countries

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Turkey, etc.

4. Scope of Application

After August 15, 2018, the new directive applies to six categories of electrical and electronic equipment:

(1) Temperature exchange equipment;

(2) Displays, monitors, and devices containing screens larger than 100 square centimeters;

(3) Lighting products;

(4) Large equipment (with external dimensions exceeding 50 cm), including but not limited to: household appliances, IT and telecommunications equipment; consumer equipment; lighting equipment; equipment for reproducing sound and images; musical instruments; electric tools; toys, leisure, and sports equipment; medical devices; monitoring instruments; vending machines; equipment for generating electric currents. This category excludes equipment from categories 1 to 3.

(5) Small equipment (with external dimensions not exceeding 50 cm), including but not limited to: household appliances, consumer equipment; lighting equipment; equipment for reproducing sound and images; musical instruments; electric tools; toys, leisure, and sports equipment; medical devices; monitoring instruments; vending machines; equipment for generating electric currents. This category excludes equipment from categories 1 to 3 and category 6.

(6) Small IT and telecommunications equipment (with external dimensions not exceeding 50 cm).

Scope of electrical and electronic equipment not covered by this directive:

(1) Equipment necessary for protecting the security and fundamental interests of member states, including weapons, ammunition, and materials for special purposes;

(2) Equipment professionally designed and installed as part of another device not covered by this directive and which can only function as a component of that device;

(3) Incandescent lamps;

(4) Space equipment;

(5) Large-scale stationary industrial tools;

(6) Large-scale fixed installations, except for those not part of the installation and specifically designed and installed;

(7) Means of transport for persons or goods, excluding non-type-approved two-wheel motor vehicles;

(8) Non-road mobile machinery manufactured exclusively for professional use;

(9) Equipment specifically designed for research and development based on business-to-business relationships;

(10) Medical devices, in vitro diagnostic medical devices, and active implantable medical devices that may be contaminated with bacteria before disposal.

5. Compliance Steps

The WEEE regulation specifies the requirements for the collection, logistics, treatment, decontamination, final disposal, and reuse of end-of-life WEEE equipment.

(1) Registration and Declaration—EEE manufacturers must register in each EU member state where they sell products. The contact points for each member state are published on the europa.eu website. Each member state authorizes private organizations to register producers and collect and prepare materials for recycling.

A common methodology has been established under 2017/699 for calculating the weight of EEE placed on the market in each EU member state, as well as the relevant methodology for calculating the amount of WEEE generated in each EU member state. The EU has customized WEEE calculation tools for each member state. For details, refer to the WEEE calculation tool.

If you manufacture products in the EU but export 100% to non-EU markets, your organization is not considered a manufacturer under the WEEE Directive. However, if any part of the product is sold within the EU, the company is considered a producer subject to EU WEEE regulations.

(2) End-User Information and Marking—EEE manufacturers must provide end-users with information on the disposal of EEE: collection points, drop-off locations, recycling solutions, etc. EEE must be marked with the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol in black and white. If the EEE is too small to display the symbol, it must be shown in the user manual.

(3) Collection and Weighing—Collection companies will receive WEEE, record the weight of the collected materials, and list the manufacturers who should receive credit.

(4) Disassembly and Recycling Instructions—EEE manufacturers must develop disassembly guidelines and recommendations to facilitate the disassembly, decontamination, and recycling of WEEE. Such documents include: 1) Tools and equipment required for disassembly; 2) Disassembly procedures; 3) Instructions for battery removal; 4) Final processing of metals; 5) Recommendations for recycling and reuse, etc.

(5) Recycling Operations—EEE manufacturers should have the capability to operate recycling solutions and provide recycling logistics in a country. In the EU, these are known as Compliance and Take-Back Schemes (CTBS). Recycling operators and recycling suppliers should be audited regularly.

Additionally, manufacturers should fund recycling systems, treatment, and recycling operations. They must also demonstrate the ability to finance such operations.

(6) Annual Reporting—Whether directly or through collection companies, an inventory of all collected materials must be maintained. This inventory must be submitted annually in each member state.