European Union (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Regulations 2014(link is external) in Ireland promote the recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), imposing obligations and declaration responsibilities on all producers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).
Companies are considered to be EEE Producers if they:
- Manufacture and sell electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) under their own brand
- Resell under their own brand, equipment produced by other suppliers
- Import EEE on a professional basis into Ireland
There are no thresholds under which a company is exempt from the WEEE Regulations requirements.
Key obligations of EEE Producers are:
- Registering with the Producer Register(link is external)
- Declaring the quantities of EEE that are placed on the market to the WEEE Blackbox
- Joining one of the WEEE compliance schemes or Self-Complying
- Ensuring that EEE placed on the market is in compliance with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Regulations(link is external) and must maintain technical documentation confirming that the product is CE and RoHS compliant
- Labeling EEE products with crossed-out wheelie bin sign
In Ireland, most businesses join a compliance scheme. There are two compliance schemes: WEEE Ireland and ERP. If your products are categorized as B2B – i.e. products that are exclusively used by other businesses, then you are obliged to self-comply.
Retailers, including online sellers, are considered EEE Distributors. Although retailers do not have to declare quantities of EEE sold, they have many other obligations, including but not limited to:
- Providing take-back of WEEE and waste batteries
- Providing specific consumer information at the online store and on receipts
- Displaying visible Environmental Management Costs on the price displays
- Registering with the Local Authorities
Online retailers and other distance sellers in addition to EEE Distributor responsibilities, may have EEE Producer responsibilities, depending on their supply chain.
The competent agency in Ireland is the Environmental Protection Agency, and detailed information about the WEEE Regulations can be found on their web-site(link is external).
If your business imports EEE and has physical and online shops, then full WEEE compliance can be complex. If you sell to multiple EU countries from your online shop, then you have obligations in all those countries as well as Ireland. Read more about our international services…
Greenstreets can take away the compliance headache and hard work involved in on-going reporting. Read more ….