Business IT disposal and the WEEE Regulations: a UK guide
By the Innovate Prime Renew team · Updated
What counts as WEEE?
WEEE means waste electrical and electronic equipment: laptops, desktops, servers, monitors, phones, printers and networking kit once they're discarded. The WEEE Regulations 2013 set out how it must be collected, treated and recycled.
Your duty of care
Under the waste duty of care, your organisation must take reasonable steps to make sure its waste is handled properly. In practice:
- Only hand waste to an authorised person, such as a registered waste carrier. Check their number on the Environment Agency public register.
- Complete a waste transfer note describing the waste. In England, keep it for at least two years.
- Use consignment notes for hazardous items, such as CRT screens.
Reuse comes first
The waste hierarchy puts reuse ahead of recycling. Working equipment that's properly sanitised and refurbished keeps its value and avoids the environmental cost of making new devices. Only what can't be reused should go for treatment and recycling.
What to ask your provider
A responsible IT recycling provider should be able to tell you:
- Their waste carrier registration number
- Where non-reusable equipment is treated (an AATF)
- How data is sanitised and verified, and what the certificate shows
- What paperwork you'll receive for your records
Frequently asked questions
- Do businesses have to recycle IT equipment in the UK?
- Businesses must not dispose of electrical waste in general waste or landfill. It must go to an authorised person and, if not reused, be treated under the WEEE Regulations.
- What is an AATF?
- An Approved Authorised Treatment Facility: a site approved by the environmental regulator to treat WEEE and issue evidence that it was recycled properly.
This guide is general information for UK organisations, not legal advice. For decisions specific to your organisation, check with your compliance or legal team.