New lighting products in scope of WEEE Regulations

Are you ready for WEEE?

The WEEE Regulations have applied to a closed scope of products since 2007. Unless a product was listed in the fourteen categories, then they were out of scope. A specific exclusion meant that household luminaires were also out of scope.

However, from 2019, the Regulations move to an open scope.  Under this approach, all products which meet the definition of electrical products are in scope, unless they are covered by an exclusion.

The previous household luminaire exclusion has also been removed for 2019, bringing them into scope. Other lighting products coming into scope are wiring accessories such as plugs, sockets, switches.

Companies that sell these products in the UK, termed Producers, will need to comply with the UK’s WEEE Regulations and report their UK sales data.

To learn more, download the

Recolight Definitive Guide for the lighting industry 

which looks at all products now in scope, with definitions.

A summary of changes to the scope of WEEE

• Most electrical products already need to comply with the WEEE regulations.
• Household luminaires, wiring accessories and other equipment come into scope of the UK’s WEEE Regulations from 2019.
• Producers of equipment coming into scope must join a Producer Compliance Scheme, such as Recolight, by November 2018, and start reporting the weight of the product they sell from January 2019.
  (Very small producers supplying less than 5 tonnes per year may register directly with the Environment Agency).
• Although many EU countries will move to 6 categories in 2019, reporting in the UK will remain with the current 14 categories.
• Certain lighting products, such as furniture with integral LED lighting, remain out of scope.
• Recolight will not apply put on market charges for new product coming into scope until 2020.

phone us on 020 8253 9750 Option 2

Learn even more about Open Scope

A 15 minute presentation explaining Open Scope and what it means to lighting.