What you must do

You should only export waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) if you are sure that it will be recovered or recycled safely in the receiving country. If you are unsure, ask the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for advice.

If you want to issue evidence of the export of WEEE for reuse to a producer compliance scheme you must apply to the NIEA or SEPA to become an approved exporter.

If you are an approved exporter you can only issue evidence notes for exporting WEEE if it is to be reused as a whole appliance.

If you are an approved exporter you must submit quarterly returns to the NIEA in Northern Ireland or SEPA in Scotland. These reports must include the amount of WEEE exported for recovery, recycling and reuse as whole appliances. You must also report the amount of non-obligated WEEE you export. This is WEEE that does not come from compliance schemes.

In Northern Ireland you must also provide the NIEA, with reports from an independent auditor confirming that the evidence notes you issued match up with the amount of WEEE you received and exported for each approval period.

In Scotland SEPA has taken an enforcement position not to require businesses to provide this report. SEPA officers will instead make checks during site visits.

If you want to export WEEE for reuse, treatment or reprocessing you must also ensure that you comply with legislation on the shipment of waste.

Importing and exporting waste

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