How to Choose a WEEE Recycling Partner in the UK
When you’re under pressure to get rid of your business’s waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), it’s tempting to rush into things. You might be tempted to simply choose a WEEE recycling partner who can get the job done on time, and at a good price. But if you don’t do your homework, you risk overlooking key compliance requirements, which could have material consequences for your business down the line.
This is because your duty of care – your responsibility to ensure your waste is disposed of in line with the law – doesn’t end when the waste leaves your site. If the waste carrier you’re assigning it to isn’t reliable and rule-abiding, you’ll face the legal and financial consequences that come with mishandling waste.
So, how can you be sure you choose a WEEE recycling partner who’s legitimate? Luckily, you won’t have to rely on guesswork: three key credentials allow waste carriers to easily provide evidence that they’re up to standard.
Anyone who carries waste as part of their job without a waste carrier licence is committing a criminal offence. This licence means their details are registered with an environmental regulator: in England, this is the Environment Agency (EA).
These licences come in two forms. Lower tier licences cover businesses that transport their own waste, as long as it’s not construction or demolition waste. If you’re hiring a WEEE recycling partner, they’ll need to have an upper tier licence.
Choosing a waste carrier that holds this certification is an essential part of doing your due diligence, and is part of how you can protect yourself in the event that they do not properly dispose of the waste.
But don’t just take the company’s word for it. Check they’re legitimately registered as a waste carrier by searching their name on the Environment Agency public register.
Another non-negotiable for a recycling partner is that they’ll take your WEEE to an approved authorised treatment facility (AATF) for recycling. An AATF has been approved and regulated by the EA, who’ll confirm it meets stringent standards around how WEEE is treated, including the safe removal of hazardous substances. An AATF is also required to send regular reports detailing the amount of WEEE it has processed.
On the other hand, you can’t guarantee that a non-permitted treatment or transfer facility will recycle your waste in a responsible way – or recycle it at all. To find out whether a site has this accreditation, always check against the EA public register.
As well as being certified as safe when it comes to depollution, an AATF is also critical because only they can provide evidence notes, which act as proof of the treatment, recovery, or recycling of WEEE.
You should also always get the correct documentation from your recycling partner for every transaction - a Waste Transfer Note for non-hazardous WEEE, or a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note for hazardous WEEE streams such as fridges, lamps, and batteries. Waste Transfer Notes must be retained for at least two years, while Hazardous Waste Consignment Notes must be kept for at least three years.
This paperwork will contain a description of the waste, its quantity, and the date of transfer, and must be signed by both you and the waste carrier before the waste is removed from your site.
This paper trail is crucial for audits that will stand up to EA scrutiny. Plus, capturing this data means that your partner can feed back the recycling rates of your WEEE, including the amount of recovered materials and CO2 impacts. This will put you in good stead when it comes to ESG reporting, easing the process of communicating your sustainability progress to stakeholders.
In some cases, the business who’ll collect your WEEE also operates the AATF, and will take it there directly, without any brokers or contractors. This direct-to-processor route gives you clear oversight of where your waste goes, minimising your risk of unintentional non-compliance with government regulations.
It’ll also make your ESG reporting both easier and more accurate, as you’ll have a simple, verifiable trail to follow, without any detours or breaks in the chain.
1. Are you a licensed WEEE carrier?
Ask for their registration number. If they can’t provide one, don’t work with them – and if they do, double check it’s on the EA’s register.
2. Will my waste be taken to a permitted WEEE treatment facility?
Then, look at whether the site is on the EA’s approval list.
3. Will the WEEE go straight to a recycling facility, or will it be passed on to a broker?
Either is fine in practice, but a direct-to-processor operation can simplify your ESG reporting.
4. What documentation will you provide me with?
You should receive a Waste Transfer Note for non-hazardous WEEE, or a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note where the WEEE stream is hazardous - ask your partner to confirm which applies to each collection.
5. Can you provide data on recycling rates, recovered materials, or CO2 impact that I can incorporate into my ESG reporting?
All AATFs will generate this data, but the absence of middlemen will make getting ahold of it more straightforward.
Speak to GAP about a compliant WEEE collection arrangement for your business.
