WEEE treatment guide

Purpose of the guidance

Documents procedures considered good practice to help and improve WEEE treatment.

Builds on statutory guidance from central Government and assumes compliance with the WEEE Regulations as a de minimus.

Identifies good practice choices, allowing adoption of those most suitable.

Introduction

This guide focuses on treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) at Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATFs)/Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) and re-use organisations. It is structured to allow users to focus on specific areas of interest or to read as whole chapters.

This guide:

Documents procedures considered good practice to help and improve WEEE treatment.
Builds on statutory guidance from central Government and assumes compliance with the WEEE Regulations as a de minimus.
Identifies good practice choices, allowing adoption of those most suitable.

The guide does not replace relevant statutory guidance or the Best Available Treatment, Recovery and Recycling Techniques (BATRRT) and will not be applicable in all situations. Further guidance and research on the collections, re-use, recycling and recovery of WEEE is available on the WRAP website at www.wrap.org.uk/sustainable-electricals.

The different sections of the guidance are outlined below where you can navigate directly to the section relevant for you.

Treatment of waste

This section provides guidance to organisations involved in the treatment and re-use of WEEE to ensure waste materials are recovered and disposed of in a legal and environmentally responsible manner. Best practise advice is provided to ensure treatment facilities adopt systems to identifying and segregate waste appropriate to its composition and nature. Waste and site management guidance is also provided in addition to health, safety and environmental procedures and communication recommendations.

Case study: Good practice in enforcement of H&S at an AATF

Provide staff with rigorous H&S training, all necessary PPE and clear and easy to understand signage at all relevant locations of operational facilities. Set up a strict policy of undertaking spot checks to ensure health and safety adherence. Use enforcement measures such as verbal or written warnings to uphold standards. Ensure staff wear gloves, steel toe capped boots, ear defenders and eye protectors where needed. Invest in equipment which improves H&S. For example a high powered air extraction for removing phosphorus dusts and other dangerous airborne particles from the working environment.

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Treatment of WEEE

This section describes the quality control measures and protocols which are undertaken in the collection and treatment of WEEE. This guidance provides treatment facilities with an overview of the processes they can implement to help improve the quality of WEEE derived materials they produce. It also helps identify options for improving the traceability of WEEE when sent for further treatment in the UK.

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Treatment for re-use

This section of the guidance is particularly aimed at treatment and re-use facilities, however other organisations and provides information on sourcing WEEE for re-use in the UK. It provides information on systems and processes for optimising the WEEE which is potentially reusable whilst minimising the likelihood of items being returned covering disassembly, testing and packaging.

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Treatment for export

This guidance is to help ensure organisations involved in the export of WEEE do so in a manner which is legally compliant and traceable to the end destination. There is a high proportion of WEEE, WEEE-derived materials and re-use WEEE exported from the UK for further treatment or to supply overseas end markets this guide covers the correct procedures for this activity.

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WEEE treatment guide

Introduction

Treatment of waste

Treatment of WEEE

Treatment for re-use

Treatment for export

Priority areas

Role

Sector

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