10 categories

Once a piece of equipment has been assessed to be in the scope of producer responsibility next step is to identify which of the ten categories applies. These ten categories are a means to group products under the WEEE rules. Equipment is therefore not exempt from producer responsibility based on the argument that it is not possible to assign the equipment to a category. Each piece of equipment must be assigned to one of the ten categories.

Purpose of product categories

In order to distribute responsibility and duties among producers, make national outlines and see whether businesses and EU Member States comply with the minimum requirements set up by law, a registration is made under the ten product categories for equipment for private use and equipment for professional use.

Annex 1B of the EU directive gives a list of examples of equipment and functions of each of the ten categories. These examples can be used for inspiration to identify to which category the equipment should be assigned.

Note: where a heading contains the word ’household’ or ’consumer’ it does not mean that equipment for professional use under the category is exempt from producer responsibility.

All electrical and electronic equipment covered by producer responsibility in the WEEE Order must be assigned to a category. For some types of equipment it may be difficult to find the evident category.

Equipment covered by producer responsibility is divided into the ten categories of equipment covering equipment for both private and professional use.