Producer Obligations

Importer obligations, simplified

A clear summary of what placing electrical equipment on the UK market means for your business, the thresholds that change what's required, and the records you need to keep.

Block 01

Does it apply to me?

If your business buys electrical or electronic equipment from outside the UK and brings it into the UK market for the first time, you're the producer. That's true whether you sell direct, through retailers, or through online marketplaces.

Block 02

PCS or direct EA registration

If you place over 5 tonnes of EEE on the UK market in a year, you must register through a Producer Compliance Scheme. Under 5 tonnes you can register directly with the Environment Agency.

Block 03

What you must report

Tonnage placed on the UK market, by EEE category, broken down between B2C and B2B routes. Methodology matters: keep records of how you classify and weigh products.

Block 04

The crossed-out wheelie bin

All EEE you place on the UK market must carry the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol on the product, the packaging, and the instructions. The legal responsibility transfers to you when you place it on the UK market.

Image slot Operational AATF shot · 16:9 landscape

Our AATF in Kirkheaton: the only UK facility licensed to treat all 15 WEEE categories in one site.

Working with us

From audit to active compliance

A straightforward path from your first conversation with our compliance team through to ongoing obligation management.

STEP 01

Free desktop audit

Send us your import figures and product descriptions. We classify the EEE, calculate your tonnage by category, and confirm whether you're above or below the PCS threshold. No charge, no obligation.

STEP 02

We handle the EA

We register you as a producer with the Environment Agency, manage your annual data submissions, procure evidence, and respond to any EA queries on your behalf. One named contact for everything regulatory.

STEP 03

In-house collection and AATF treatment

Returned and end-of-life products are collected by our own fleet and treated at our AATF, the only UK facility licensed for all 15 WEEE categories. Documentation flows straight back to your account.

Membership Inclusions

What's included for importers

Everything in one membership: registration, reporting, evidence procurement, collection, treatment, and ongoing advisory.

Full EA registration

Annual producer registration with the Environment Agency, including initial setup and ongoing renewals.

Tonnage classification

We classify your imports by EEE category, separate B2C from B2B, and submit your annual tonnage reports.

Multi-category treatment

All 15 WEEE categories handled in-house. Whatever your product mix looks like, we don't subcontract.

Battery bundling

If your imports include or contain batteries, we handle the battery producer registration alongside WEEE in the same membership.

Common Questions

Quick answers for importers

The questions importing businesses raise most often when reviewing their compliance position.

I import from a brand that handles its own compliance overseas. Does that cover me?
No. Producer obligations are jurisdictional. Whatever the manufacturer does in another country has no effect on your UK obligations. The first business to place EEE on the UK market carries the responsibility here.
Some of my products are dual-use (sold to consumers and businesses). How do I classify them?
If a product can plausibly be used in a household setting, you classify it as B2C, even if some of your sales are to businesses. The B2C definition pulls items in rather than narrowing them out.
What if I import a small range, well under 5 tonnes a year?
You can register directly with the Environment Agency rather than join a PCS, but you still have full reporting and evidence obligations. Most small importers find a PCS still saves time once they price up the admin work.
My products contain batteries. Is that separate?
Yes. Battery weight is excluded from WEEE tonnage calculations and falls under separate Battery Regulations. If you place over 1 tonne of portable batteries on the UK market a year, you have battery producer obligations on top of WEEE. We handle both.
How quickly can WERCS get me registered?
A free desktop audit takes a few days. Once you've signed a member agreement, EA registration follows the standard timetable. We can backdate registration to cover years where you should have been compliant but weren't.
Watch Out For

Common importer mistakes to avoid

Issues we see when reviewing the position of importers who come to us mid-compliance-year.

Watch

Assuming the manufacturer is the producer

The producer is whoever first places EEE on the UK market. If you import from overseas, that's you. Whatever compliance status the manufacturer holds in their home market is irrelevant to UK obligations.

Watch

Late registration

Importers often realise their obligation when they're already trading. You need to register as soon as you discover the gap, and report retrospectively for the years you've been operational.

Watch

Missing the wheelie bin symbol

If goods arrive without the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol on product, packaging, and instructions, the obligation to add it falls to you before you place them on the UK market.

Watch

Misreporting B2B as B2C

The classification affects your recycling targets and evidence costs. Get it wrong and you're either over-paying or under-reporting. The B2C definition is broader than most importers expect.