WEEE: apply for approval as a producer compliance scheme
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-16)

Apply to be a waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) producer compliance scheme and operate legally under your approval.

A producer compliance scheme (PCS) is a membership organisation. The members are producers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).

A PCS is responsible for registering all its members every year and must:
- ensure it meets its financial obligations under the WEEE regulations
- fulfil its data reporting obligations
Apply to become a WEEE PCS

You must apply for approval from the appropriate environmental regulator. This depends on where your company has its registered office or principal place of business. They are the:
- Environment Agency – England (#england-regulator)
- Scottish Environmental Protection Agency – Scotland (#scotland-regulator)
- Natural Resources Wales – Wales (#wales-regulator)
- Northern Ireland Environment Agency – Northern Ireland (#ni-regulator)
You must apply between 1 July and 31 August in the year before the first year you want to start work as a PCS.

You must complete an application form and send your fee with your application. Contact your environmental regulator to request a form.

Charges

All Environment Agency annual charges relating to the WEEE regime are set out in Part 2 of Waste (Miscellaneous) (England) Charging Scheme 2018 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-miscellaneous-charging-scheme/waste-miscellaneous-england-charging-scheme-2018).

An English compliance scheme pays the charges in charge set 2 for its members with a registered office (or principal place of business, if they do not have a registered office) in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Annual charges for schemes approved by SEPA, DAERA or NRW

Charge set 2

The charges are:
- £445 – producers with more than £1 million turnover
- £210 – producers with £1 million turnover or less and required to be VAT registered
- £30 – for producers not VAT registered
- £30 – overseas company not VAT registered
- £30 – for small producers placing less than 5 tonnes of EEE on the market each year
‘Not VAT registered’ also implies not being required to register for VAT

Compliance schemes in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland pay the charges referred to in the Waste (Miscellaneous) (England) Charging Scheme 2018 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-miscellaneous-charging-scheme/waste-miscellaneous-england-charging-scheme-2018#:~:text=Where%20a%20small%20producer%20has,(2)%20is%20%C2%A3150.) if they have members with a registered office in England.

Public register of approved PCSs

Once you’ve been approved to operate as a PCS, your scheme will appear on a public register (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee-public-registers) showing:
- your business or trading name
- your registered office or main place of business
- whether your PCS is for household or non-household WEEE or both
WEEE PCS: your duties

Register your members

Every year you must register all your members with your approving environmental regulator.

You must do this before 30 November of the preceding year. If a producer joins your scheme part-way through the year, you must register that producer within 28 days. You cannot remove a member during a compliance year.

You must:
- complete the XML file with your members’ details
- use the WEEE online system (https://weee.service.gov.uk) to upload your XML file
Contact your environmental regulator if you have any questions about your XML file.

Finance your members’ household WEEE obligations

You are responsible for financing part of the overall household (also known as business to consumer – B2C) WEEE collection target based on the market share of your members. Your overall target is split between each of the categories of EEE (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eee-producers-how-to-accurately-identify-eee) your members placed on the UK market in the previous year.

You must obtain sufficient evidence notes to show you’ve met these targets. Only approved authorised treatment facilities (AATFs) and approved exporters (AEs) that you have arrangements with can issue evidence notes to you. An online service called WEEE Online is used by AATFs, AEs and PCSs to do this. See WEEE evidence and national protocols (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/weee-evidence-and-national-protocols-guidance/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee-evidence-and-national-protocols-guidance) for detailed guidance and access to the system.

See the list of approved AATFs and AEs in:
- England (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee-public-registers)
- Scotland AATFs (https://beta.sepa.scot/regulation/authorisations-and-compliance/weee/approved-authorised-treatment-facilities-for-weee/) and AEs (https://beta.sepa.scot/regulation/authorisations-and-compliance/weee/approved-exporters-of-weee/)
- Northern Ireland (https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/atf-public-register)
- Wales (https://naturalresources.wales/permits-and-permissions/public-register-of-weee-approved-authorised-treatment-facilities-and-approved-exporters/?lang=en)
Targets and target adjustments

The government sets the collection target for each compliance year. Your environmental regulator will calculate and give you your targets by 31 March each year.

Targets will be adjusted during the compliance year if scheme members:
- stop trading (for example, if they go bankrupt)
- register late so the PCS has to resubmit data
Where you do not have enough direct collection contracts to meet your target, you may contract collection to another PCS to collect on your behalf.

Compliance fee

You may be able to pay a compliance fee. The government may approve one compliance fee methodology and an administrator to run it but is under no obligation to set a fee in any given compliance year. Anyone, including a PCS can propose a methodology and an organisation to administer (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/weee-submit-a-proposal-for-a-compliance-fee-methodology) it by 30 September each year. Email your proposal to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

If a compliance fee is set and you choose to use the fee as part (or all) of your compliance, you must provide evidence of payment. It’s part of your declaration of compliance (#annual-declaration) that you submit to the environmental regulator.

Finance your members’ non-household WEEE obligations

There is no target for non-household (also known as business to business - B2B) WEEE. Schemes must finance the non-household WEEE their members are responsible for unless a member takes on that responsibility itself. This is waste from:
- EEE put on the market by their members on or after 13 August 2005
- any EEE put on the market before 13 August 2005 where the user is replacing with ‘like for like’ EEE from one of their members
The end user contacts the producer or PCS to ensure this WEEE is collected and sent either for recycling or reuse. You do not need to finance the cost of transport from the end user.

If you have an arrangement with your members that they finance their own non-household WEEE responsibilities, you will still need evidence notes to show the WEEE treatment has been financed.

You do not need to receive evidence where there is an agreement between the member and the end user that the end user will take responsibility for the WEEE. Where this is the case your member needs proof of the transfer of responsibility.

Prioritise recycling whole appliances for reuse

You may have your approval refused or withdrawn if you cannot show how you do this.

Collect WEEE

To obtain evidence notes you will need to make arrangements to collect WEEE or have WEEE collected on your behalf.

Household WEEE is generally collected at a designated collection facility (DCF) - most are run by local authorities or retailers. You can make an arrangement with a local authority DCF (or with a privately operated DCF) to collect their WEEE. You do not need to finance the cost of transport of this WEEE from the householder or business end user.

See the list of local authority DCFs (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/weee-list-of-local-authority-designated-collection-facilities) and the name of the PCS they’re registered with.

If a local authority DCF site operator (who’s not managing its own WEEE and its PCS/DCF contract(s) has expired or terminated) asks you to clear any separately collected WEEE, you must arrange to collect and treat it even if you’ve reached your collection target. You can ask for proof of the expired or terminated contract to validate the request. You can also refer each request to the PCS balancing system (PBS) (#PCS-balancing-system) which will arrange to collect the WEEE and share the costs between all its members.

Household WEEE is also collected by retailers who’ve taken back WEEE from their customers or by other organisations with household WEEE (such as repairers). You must have systems in place to accept this WEEE unless your scheme only operates in the B2B sector. You do not need to pay for the cost of transport of this WEEE to your nominated collection point (typically an AATF).

PCSs can set up other collection systems that are consistent with the WEEE Regulations 2013 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3113/contents/made) (as amended).

To get evidence issued you must arrange for the WEEE to be treated, recovered, recycled or reused at an AATF or send it to an AE for export of whole appliances for reuse.

Evidence issued on non-household WEEE cannot be used to meet your household WEEE collection target.

See the guidance on how to correctly identify B2C and B2B EEE and WEEE (https://www.gov.uk/business-to-consumer-b2c-and-business-to-business-b2b-eee-and-weee-how-to-correctly-identify).

Join the PCS balancing system (PBS)

You must join the PBS within 30 days of it being approved by the Secretary of State. The approved PBS will ensure that any regulation 34 requests by a PCS operator are dealt with quickly and that the costs and evidence are shared between all the PBS members on a market share basis.

Anyone can submit a proposal for the PBS. You must submit your proposals for the PBS to Defra to be considered for approval.

Standards you must meet

You must meet the requirements in the code of practice (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee-collection-code-of-practice) when you collect WEEE from DCFs.

Separately collected WEEE must be stored and treated using best available treatment, recovery and recycling techniques (BATRRT) (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20130402151656/http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/producer/electrical/documents/weee-batrrt-guidance.pdf).

Send reports to your approving environmental regulator

You must report every 3 months the amount of:
- WEEE in each of the categories you’ve collected from the DCF, retailers and other organisations
- WEEE in each of the categories you’ve delivered to AATF and AE – specify household or non-household
- household EEE placed on the market by category for each of your members
Every 3 months, you must also provide a breakdown of how much of the total amount comprises EEE originating from non-UK suppliers, for each of your members that is an online marketplace (OMP) producer and producer of their own EEE.

The environmental regulator must receive the report for:
- quarter 1 (January, February, March) by 30 April
- quarter 2 (April, May, June) by 31 July
- quarter 3 (July, August, September) by 31 October
- quarter 4 (October, November, December) by 31 January
You must report annually (in quarter 4) the amount of non-household EEE placed on the market by category for each of your members.

You must also provide the OMP producer’s methodology annually.

You must:
- populate the XML file with your quarterly EEE/WEEE data return
- use the WEEE online system (https://weee.service.gov.uk) to upload and submit your quarterly EEE/WEEE data return XML file
You must keep these records for at least 4 years.

You should also keep any supporting information like waste consignment and transfer notes, contract details, weighbridge tickets, photographs and invoices as added proof of your work.

You should also report to local authorities on DCF cleared WEEE. If you collect for another scheme or use another company to collect on your behalf, your contract should state how you’ll report to local authorities.

Make an annual declaration of compliance

You must do this by 31 March of the following year. The declaration must give evidence on how you’ve met your duties for financing the collection and treatment of both household and non-household WEEE. This should include proof of any compliance fee paid as an alternative to obtaining evidence.

Non-compliance

Your approving environmental regulator may withdraw your PCS approval if you:
- fail, or are likely to fail, to comply with any of the conditions of your approval
- supply false information
- have been convicted of an offence under the WEEE regulations
Other sanctions also include:
- warning letters
- formal cautions
- at a magistrates court an unlimited fine
- at Crown Court an unlimited fine
Environmental regulators

England

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) Telephone: 03708 506 506

WEEE Producer ResponsibilityEnvironment AgencyQuadrant 299 Parkway AvenueParkway Business ParkSheffieldS9 4WF

Scotland

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) Telephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx

Producer Compliance and Waste Shipment UnitScottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)Strathallan HouseCastle Business ParkStirlingFK9 4TZ

Northern Ireland

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) Telephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx

Producer Responsibility UnitNorthern Ireland Environment Agency1st Floor BradanNIEA Lisburn17 Antrim RoadTonagh, LisburnBT28 3AL

Wales

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) Telephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx

Producer Responsibility UnitNatural Resources WalesRivers HouseSt Mellons Business ParkSt MellonsCardiffCF3 0EY

Find out about call charges (https://www.gov.uk/call-charges).

More information

For the legislation see:
- Recast of the WEEE directive (https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee_en)
- WEEE Regulations 2013 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3113/contents/made)
- WEEE (Amendment, etc.) Regulations 2025 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/910/contents/made)
See producer responsibility guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/producer-responsibility-regulations#electrical-and-electronic-equipment-eee) for manufacturers, importers, re-branders, distributors of EEE and WEEE treatment facilities and exporters.

See WRAP: WEEE collection guide (https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/weee-collection-guide) and treatment guide (https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/weee-treatment-guide) for ideas and opportunities for going beyond compliance and improving practices.