Consequences of failing to comply with the WEEE Regulations
In a recent court case, the largest distributor of mobile phones in the UK was found to be in breach of the WEEE regulations. The mobile phone logistics firm had failed to register with a compliance scheme, among six other charges, and was fined more than £23,000.
The case, brought forward by the Environment Agency, showed that the company had failed to register with a compliance scheme between 2007 and 2012.
Any company which:
- manufactures and sells electrical and electronic equipment under their own brand,
- resells equipment produced by other suppliers under their own brand,
- or imports equipment on a professional basis into the UK
must comply with WEEE regulations.
For any law to be effective, enforcement is vital. That is why we are pleased to see another WEEE prosecution. Good enforcement with material consequences for non-compliant companies helps to ensure that there is fair competition and a level playing field.
PCSs like Recolight enable producers to fulfil their obligations under WEEE regulations, disposing of harmful waste in a responsible and safe manner. Once a producer becomes a member of Recolight, it is our responsibility to take on the legal obligation to arrange and finance the producer’s collection and recycling requirements.
Funded by over 130 members in the lighting industry, Recolight is the leading Lighting PCS in the UK, providing comprehensive compliance for producers of lamps, LEDs and luminaires. We take responsibility for all of our members’ WEEE, whether household or business. As a not-for-profit, Recolight is the only compliance scheme that provides free recycling for all lighting in scope of the WEEE regulations, and has recycled more lighting equipment than all other UK schemes put together.
