Information for producers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE)

This page provides compliance guidance and information for EEE producers including what EEE producers must do to comply with the WEEE regulations, the different types of producers, the different categories of EEE, compliance by joining a compliance scheme, self-compliance, B2B reporting to the EPA and making a complaint to the EPA.

EEE producers

In general, if a product needs a battery or a power supply to work properly it is electrical and electronic equipment, or EEE for short. Household products such as mobile phones, computers, power tools and hairdryers are EEE. EEE used by businesses includes servers, hospital equipment and catering equipment. An EEE producer is any person or organisation that either manufactures or imports EEE and places it on the market in Ireland for the first time.

You are an EEE producer if you do any one (or more) of the following in Ireland:

Manufacture and sell EEE under your own brand name
Re-sell, under your own brand name, EEE that is manufactured or imported by other suppliers. You will not be a producer in this case if the original brand name of the manufacturer or supplier remains on the EEE when you re-sell it
Import EEE, on a professional basis, for placement on the market in Ireland
Export EEE, on a professional basis, to another EU member state for placement on the market there. You will be an EEE producer in that member state and you will have legal obligations there

The activities above include distance selling, where the importing or selling is done online. Find out more about distance selling.

What type of EEE producer are you?

There are two main types of EEE Producers: B2B and B2C. These are explained below.

B2B producers (Business-to-Business) are producers that supply EEE that is for professional use only (that is, one business supplying EEE for use by another business). B2B products are not typically used in the home. B2B EEE includes computer servers, catering equipment, medical devices, laboratory equipment and vending machines
B2C producers (business-to-consumer) are producers that supply the kind of EEE that is typically used in the home. These include mobile phones, hair straighteners, fridges, cookers, toys and IT equipment.  B2C EEE can be supplied to household users either directly by the producer (for example, by online sales) or through distributors (such as retailers).

Important note: If you are selling both B2B and B2C type EEE, then you are a dual producer - a B2B and a B2C producer. See below for more on the legal obligations that apply to dual producers.

What must EEE producers do to comply with the WEEE Regulations?

All the EEE that is sold in Ireland eventually becomes waste (that is, WEEE). WEEE needs to be managed legally and safely. The legislation that controls WEEE (the WEEE Regulations) require EEE producers to take responsibility for the management of their WEEE.

Find out about the legislation that regulates WEEE.

All EEE producers (B2B or B2C or dual) must do the following:

Register every year as an EEE producer with the national producer registration body, Producer Register Limited (PRL). You can register on its website Producer Register Limited. PRL will guide you through the registration process. You must do this every year by 31 January
Declare, every month, the types and quantities of EEE that are being placed on the market by you in Ireland. To do this, you must use the prlblackbox. This is a secure online reporting system
Finance the environmentally sound management of WEEE (that is, cover the cost of the safe and legal management of your WEEE)
Ensure that the EEE which is being placed on the market in Ireland complies with the requirements of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation.

Categories of EEE

In the WEEE Regulations, EEE has been divided into six categories: 

Temperature exchange equipment
Screens, monitors and equipment containing screens having a surface greater than 100 cm2
Lamps
Large equipment (any external dimension more than 50cm)
Small equipment (no external dimension more than 50cm)
Small IT & telecommunication equipment (no external dimension more than 50 cm)

These categories are used by producers for reporting to the WEEE Blackbox. To allow detailed reporting of EEE, the Producer Register Limited has issued a further breakdown of the 6 categories listed above. This can be found on the Producer Register website.

They are also used for reporting waste statistics on WEEE by the EPA to the European Commission.

Financing the environmentally sound management of WEEE

The WEEE Regulations provide separate systems for B2B and B2C producers to finance the environmentally sound management of their WEEE:

B2C producers

B2C producers must join a compliance scheme: WEEE Ireland or European Recycling Platform (ERP) Ireland. Compliance schemes provide a compliance service to their B2C producer members. They will meet your B2C producer obligations for you. They charge a fee for this service.

B2B Producers

Compliance schemes do not currently provide a compliance service to B2B producers. Therefore, B2B producers must self-comply with the WEEE Regulations and take on the responsibility of financing the management of their WEEE themselves. This means that B2B producers must arrange for the collection, movement and treatment of their B2B WEEE.

To self-comply with the WEEE Regulations, B2B producers must do the following:

Inform each user of their products that they will take back the product when it becomes WEEE (that is, when it has reached the end of its useful life)
Take back the WEEE when requested to do so by the user
Arrange for the safe management of their WEEE
Report on the management of their WEEE to the EPA

Important note: The above actions are legal obligations for B2B producers and are critical to the safe and legal management of B2B WEEE.

Reporting to the EPA by B2B producers

The EPA needs to know how self-complying B2B producers are meeting their legal obligations, so the producers must submit information to the EPA. The information required by the EPA is as follows:

WEEE Waste Management Plan (WMP) – A WMP looks forward over a three-year period so you will be required to submit one every three years (by 31 January when due). It informs the EPA how you will manage your B2B WEEE and how you will finance that
WEEE Waste Management Report (WMR) – You must submit a WMR by 31 January every year. A WMR contains detailed information on the quantities of B2B WEEE that you, as a B2B producer, managed during the previous calendar year.

The EPA provides an online system to submit the WMP and WMR. Find out how to access and use this online system by going to the B2B Waste Management plan and report webpage. 

What must dual producers do to comply with the WEEE Regulations?

If you are selling both B2B- and B2C-type EEE, then you are a dual producer. As a dual producer, you must meet the legal obligations that apply to both types of producers. You must join a compliance scheme to manage your B2C WEEE and self-comply to manage your B2B WEEE – both at the same time.

Important note: If you are placing EEE on the Irish market and the EEE contains batteries, then you are an EEE producer and a battery producer. You must meet the obligations that apply both to an EEE producers and a battery producer.

Find out more about the legal obligations for battery producers.

Make a complaint to the EPA

Some producers are not meeting their legal obligations. They are acting at an illegal competitive advantage over compliant producers. These producers are known as ‘free riders’.

Do you know (or suspect) a producer that is not registered or who is acting as a free rider? You can tell the EPA using this free rider EEE producer complaint form. We will investigate your complaint. Your complaint will be confidential.

Useful sources of information

Find out about the legislation that regulates WEEE and waste batteries

Find out who is responsible for doing what in the legislation by downloading the booklet: Who does what - WEEE & Battery Regulations

For the EEE and batteries compliance scheme, check out WEEE Ireland

For the EEE and batteries compliance scheme, check out the European Recycling Platform

If you are exporting WEEE or waste batteries abroad then you will have legal obligations. Read more on the national transfrontier shipment of waste

Find out more about WEEE across the EU on the website of the European Commission