WEEE Category 3: IT and telecommunications equipment
(Source: Environment Agency)

This list of products is taken from the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations. The list is not exhaustive but gives examples of the type of products included in the broader category of IT and telecommunications equipment.

Centralised data processing:
Mainframes
Minicomputers
Printer Units

Personal computing:
Personal computers (CPU, mouse, monitor and keyboard included)
Laptop computers (CPU, mouse, screen and keyboard included)
Notebook computers
Notepad computers
Printers
Copying equipment
Electrical and electronic typewriters
Pocket and desk calculators

Other products and equipment for the collection, storage, processing, presentation or communication of information by electronic means:
User terminals and systems
Facsimile
Telex
Telephones
Pay telephones
Cordless telephones
Cellular telephones
Answering systems
Other products or equipment of transmitting sound, images or other information by telecommunications

Consumables only become waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) if they are part of another product that is WEEE. For example, when a printer is discarded it becomes WEEE. If an ink cartridge is inside the printer at the time, then the ink cartridge also becomes part of that WEEE at the time of discarding. The ink cartridge would not be waste EEE if discarded on its own, and therefore is outside the scope of the WEEE Regulations. It would however be waste and subject to regulatory controls.
This only applies to consumables that would normally be included in the main EEE at time of disposal and not to other consumables; for example printer paper discarded with a printer would not be WEEE.
Examples of consumables which are not EEE are:

• Printer ink cartridges
• Photocopier and laser printer toner.

Examples of consumables that can be EEE are:

• Security tags.

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Definition of EEE
Article 3(a) of the WEEE Directive defines electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) as “equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electronic-magnetic fields in order to work properly and equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement of such currents and files falling under the categories set out in Annex IA and designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1000 Volt for alternating current and 1500 Volt for direct current.”

Our simplified definition “anything that has a battery in it or a plug on it”  has inconsistencies within: for example,  products like teddy bears that have battery-operated functions that are not their main purpose – as a comfort toy – would not be considered within the scope of the Regulations.

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United Kingdom's definition of waste
The UK's Environmental Protection Act 1990 indicated waste includes any substance which constitutes a scrap material, an effluent or other unwanted surplus arising from the application of any process or any substance or article which requires to be disposed of which has been broken, worn out, contaminated or otherwise spoiled; this is supplemented with anything which is discarded otherwise dealt with as if it were waste shall be presumed to be waste unless the contrary is proved.

This definition was amended by the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 defining waste as: "any substance or object which the producer or the person in possession of it, discards or intends or is required to discard but with exception of anything excluded from the scope of the Waste Directive".

Reuse of EEE guidelines
Chapter 10 – Re-use of WEEE as Whole Appliances
246. The WEEE Regulations place obligations on producers and their Producer Compliance Schemes to prioritise, where appropriate, the re-use of whole appliances and their actions in this area have to be reported to the relevant environment agencies as part of their compliance.

247. The Charitable and Voluntary Sector already plays a valuable role in promoting the re-use of WEEE as whole appliances and the WEEE Regulations should act as a further catalyst to support such activity. The work of these groups has both environmental and socio-economic benefits. They can contribute to the delivery of both producer and Local Authority objectives, and it is in the interests of producers and Local Authorities to work with them in advance of WEEE obligations coming into effect on 1 July 2007.
 
248. To encourage such activity the Government has decided that it would be appropriate to include details of such activity in the returns of Producer Compliance Schemes and that such evidence (only if generated by either an Approved Authorised Treatment facility – or an Approved Exporter) can be included in discharging its WEEE obligations. However, only re-use which has gone through an AATF or AE can be included in such evidence returns. There is nothing to stop Charitable and Voluntary organisations applying to become AATFs if they so wish.

249. This inclusion of re-use activity does not distort the market share calculations in any way – all WEEE that is separately collected at DCFs and via Regulation 32 will be used in the calculation of Producer Compliance Schemes obligations against their market share of EEE placed on the market during the compliance period.

250. The Government believes that the inclusion of re-use of whole appliances in evidence returns delivers the most appropriate and strongest incentive for Producer Compliance Schemes to work with genuine re-use organisations and to prioritise re-use of whole appliances where appropriate.

Full document at http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file38209.pdf