Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) covered by the WEEE Regulations

Updated 2 August 2023

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EEE producers must help protect natural resources and manage waste EEE in the best way for people and the environment.

Use this guidance to:

If you have an item that you need help to categorise, please contact your compliance scheme or regulator.

See details on how to register as an EEE producer annually.

EEE means equipment:

‘Dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields to work properly’ means that the equipment needs electric currents or electromagnetic fields (not petrol or gas) to fulfil its basic function. So when the electric current is off, the equipment cannot fulfil its basic function.

Where electrical energy is only used for support or control functions, the equipment is not covered by the regulations. Equipment that only needs a spark to start it (electronic ignition) and does not need electricity to fulfil its basic function includes:

Electrical or electronic versions of standard products such as electric toothbrushes and electric suitcases are EEE products.

Products that are not connected to a mains supply may still be EEE. They can be wind-up, battery-powered and solar-powered products.

Where a product has several functions and only one needs an electrical current, the product may still be EEE.

If you place EEE on the market you must report the amount you place on the market. See Report the amount of EEE you place on the market.

You can:

Exempt products are:

Products that can be used for both military and civil purposes, such as laptops or keyboards, are EEE products.

Excluded products are:

You can find more detailed information in the European Commission WEEE frequently asked questions (FAQs) document.

A large scale fixed installation such as an oil platform, airport luggage transport system or elevator is not an EEE product.

Find detailed information on how to assess whether a product is large scale on page 12 in the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) FAQs document. Only refer to the specific criteria for large scale – the rest of the document does not apply to EEE.

Equipment that’s not specifically designed for and is not integral to the installation, and which can carry out its basic function in its own right, is an EEE product. For example, lighting equipment, photovoltaic (PV) panels and display screens.

Components and sub-assemblies supplied to a business for building a finished product are not EEE products. For example, wiring, circuit boards or electric motors built into a washing machine, or information and communications technology products.

Items that are finished products and are put on the market for the end user are EEE products.

Spare parts supplied for the repair of a finished product are not EEE products.

Packaging, instructions and consumables, such as dishwasher tablets supplied with a dishwasher or a music book supplied with an electronic keyboard, are not EEE products.

Toner and ink cartridges with an electronic chip are EEE products.

Non-electrical accessories are defined in article 2 (a) of the WEEE Directive – they are not EEE products. For example:

If the non-electrical item is needed for the product to operate as described, the item is not an accessory and you must include it in the weight of the EEE product. For example:

An accessory which can function with more than one product is an EEE product. For example, headphones, computer keyboards and aerial cables which can operate with a TV or a MP3 player.

If you put products containing batteries on the UK market, you need to report the weight of the EEE minus the weight of the batteries. The weight of the batteries must be reported by the relevant producer under the waste battery regulations.

For each compliance year you must report products you put on the market in one of these 14 categories:

Categories 1 and 2 include ‘household’ in the title. However, all the categories cover both household (known as business to consumer – B2C) and non-household (known as business to business – B2B) products. Products designed for one or the other but which can be used by both are known as ‘dual use’. Dual use is classed as household EEE and you must report their weight.

Find out how to correctly identify B2C and B2B WEEE.

See how the environmental regulators have interpreted the regulations for specific products they’ve been asked about. This advice is not legally binding and may change if circumstances and understanding changes.

The following are EEE products:

The following are EEE products (including those with a fully integrated LED light source):

The following are EEE products:

All PV panels are EEE products. Because PV panels are of a generic size and design they must be reported as household (B2C) regardless of where they’re installed. It includes panels used in large scale solar farm installations or on commercial premises. The Environment Agency does not class solar farms as large scale fixed installations.

Report other solar powered items under their own category. Examples include calculators, watches, garden pumps and phone chargers.

Other products we consider ‘out of scope’ are:

The Environment Agency considers any waste upholstered domestic seating that is electrical, such as recliner chairs, as outside the scope of the WEEE Regulations 2013 (as amended). These contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and must be managed as explained in the guidance Manage waste upholstered domestic seating containing POPs.