WEEE Directive
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, known as WEEE and given as Directive 2012/19/EU, is European Union legislation governing the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of electrical and electronic waste. It places responsibility on producers to fund and arrange the proper end of life handling of the equipment they place on the market.
Key Takeaways
WEEE governs the collection, treatment and recycling of electrical and electronic waste in the European Union.
It is defined by Directive 2012/19/EU and applies producer responsibility principles.
Producers must fund and arrange the proper recovery of equipment at end of life.
Compliant products carry the crossed out wheeled bin symbol indicating separate collection.
WEEE aims to reduce the environmental impact of discarded electronics by ensuring they are collected separately and treated responsibly rather than sent to landfill. It sets collection, recovery and recycling targets across the European Union.
Under the directive, the producer that places equipment on the market is responsible for financing its collection and recycling at end of life. This is often managed through national compliance schemes.
Equipment within scope is marked with a crossed out wheeled bin symbol, signalling to users that the product must be collected separately and not disposed of with general waste.
For organisations procuring rugged hardware, WEEE compliance confirms that the supplier has arrangements for responsible disposal, supporting environmental policy and regulatory obligations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, the European Union directive on recycling such equipment.
The producer that places the equipment on the market is responsible for funding and arranging its end of life collection and recycling.
It indicates that the product must be collected separately for recycling rather than discarded as general waste.
No. WEEE governs end of life recycling, while RoHS restricts hazardous substances used in the manufacture of equipment.
From Theory to Application
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