Introduction
What are the WEEE and RoHS Directives?
How will the Directives affect my company?
Registering as a Producer
Collecting and Submitting Data
Compliance
Reporting compliance
Compliance Schemes
Information requirements
Financial Guarantees
Household WEEE
Business WEEE
Supply chain actions
Producers Actions
Suppliers Actions
Practical Actions for compliance
Actions for Complying with RoHS
Lead Free
How do I raise awareness?
Tools resources and further information
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WEEE Documentation

Both the WEEE and RoHS Directives have implications for contracting and procurement. Indeed, managing the information tracking and procurement date elements could become the most challenging issue of complying with the regulations. You need to consider the following information when developing purchasing agreements and sales contracts.

Purchasing agreements

When a producer buys components and/or finished products or sub-assemblies from suppliers there are a number of issues to consider.

1. The recovery and recycling regulations are all weight based. Hence it is essential that suppliers of components, sub-assemblies, and finished product provide relevant weight data. They should also include details of the numbers of products/unit supplied.
2.

Producers are legally obliged to provide disassembly and recycling information upon request. In order to do this, producers will require information from their supply-chain. This will form part of the contract between businesses within the chain. It is important that producers understand how their products are disassembled, what materials they are made of, and how they should be disposed of (re-furbished, recycled, incinerated, landfilled). Click here for a sample Product Disclosure Form.
3.

A key element of the WEEE Regulations relates to the removal/pre-treatment of certain materials and components. This gives rise to two issues. Firstly, wherever possible these components and materials should be removed /replaced wherever possible. Secondly, declarations need to be completed in order that the producer is aware of their inclusion in final product. This will then allow removal/pre-treatment prior to recycling. Click here for a sample Pre-treatment Discloseure Form.

Sales Agreements

Producers of domestic electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) are obliged to offer free take-back of separately collected product at the end of its life. Hence, the implied sales agreement between the producer and the customer is straightforward.

The situation for business-to-business sales is much more complex. Producers are obliged to take back equipment on a like-for-like basis when supplying new equipment to a business buyer, as long as the take-back and purchase occur in a single transaction. However, there is scope for the introduction of alternative arrangements within the standard contracting process.

This obligation extends to the recovery of other manufacturers products as well as your own, as long as they perform the same function. For suppliers of business-to-business equipment this will have a significant impact in terms of altering sales agreements and contracts.

Sales agreements and contracts will be particularly important with larger buyers of EEE such as larger businesses and local authorities.