The UK WEEE Regulations: Our role

As a national seller of audio and visual equipment Distributed Sound & Video Ltd has certain responsibilities under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, which came into force on 1 January 2007.

Under these Regulations Distributed Sound & Video Ltd is classed as a ‘distributor’ of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE).  A distributor is defined as “any business that provides EEE on a commercial basis to a customer”, and includes:

·         Wholesalers

·         High street retailers

·         Mail order sellers

·         Internet sellers

At Distributed Sound & Video Ltd we recognise our responsibility to minimize the environmental impact caused by our activities and more specifically as a distributor of EEE. 

We fulfil our obligations to Business customers by:

1.       Guaranteeing that our suppliers are registered with the environment agency

Manufacturers, Rebranders, and Importers that place electrical and electronic equipment on to the market in the UK are known as ‘producers’ of EEE.  Producers have an extended responsibility under the Regulations, which includes financing the pre-treatment, treatment, collection and environmentally sound disposal of the new EEE that they produce once it reaches its end-of-life.   As such, we ask all of our suppliers for their unique producer identification number (PRN), as proof that they have joined an Approved Producer Compliance Scheme, registered with the Environment Agency and have arranged suitable funding.

2.       Providing information to our customers

Awareness is the key to successively meeting the aims of the UK WEEE legislation; therefore it is of great importance that all customers of Distributed Sound & Video Ltd are informed of:

·         The environmental impacts of substances contained within EEE and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)

·         The reasons for separating WEEE from other waste

·         The meaning of the crossed out wheeled bin symbol

·         How our customers can safely dispose of WEEE for proper treatment and recycling

For further information please refer to our Fact Sheets

The UK WEEE Regulations – A Brief Overview

WEEE – What Business end-users need to know!

3.       Providing producer details to our business customers

When requested by our business customers we will happily provide contact information for the producer of the electrical or electronic item(s) that they wish to purchase. 

Please note: As a ‘distributor’ under the UK WEEE Regulations we have no obligation to take-back WEEE from business users.  Please refer to our fact sheet The UK WEEE Regulations – A Brief Overview, which details the obligations of a ‘Producer’ and your obligations as an end-user.

We fulfil our obligations to Household customers by:

1.       Offering a Take-back service

As a ‘distributer’ under the UK WEEE Regulations we are required to offer take-back of old WEEE items on a like-for-like basis when a customer buys an equivalent item from us, and dispose of the WEEE item safely.  As such, we provide a take-back service, where customers are able to send or return their items to us.  For further information about our take-back service, please refer to our fact sheet, “WEEE – What Householders need to know!”

2.       Providing information to our customers

Awareness is the key to successively meeting the aims of the UK WEEE legislation; therefore it is of great importance that all customers of Distributed Sound & Video Ltd are informed of:

·         the requirement on each member State under Article 2 of the WEEE Directive to minimise the disposal of WEEE to landfill and to achieve a high level of collection of WEEE for treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal;

·         the collection and take back systems available;

·         their role in contributing to the reuse, recycling and recovery of WEEE;

·         potential effects on the environment and human health as a result of hazardous substances in EEE; and

·         the meaning of the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol.

For further information please refer to our fact sheet “WEEE – What Householders need to know!”

3.       Keeping records of the WEEE we take back

Distributers are required to maintain records of:

·         the number of WEEE items returned to us;

·         the date that the WEEE items were returned to us; and

·         the information provided to our customers.

These records must be kept for a period of 4 years.