Battery Information

WEEE Recycling and RoHS Directives

What are the RoHS and WEEE Directives

The Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive were published at the same time and are linked in purpose. The WEEE Directive is aimed at reducing the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment destined for landfill, whereas the RoHS Directive is aimed at eradicating certain hazardous substances from new electrical and electronic equipment in the first instance. The WEEE Directive is far more complicated and involved than the RoHS Directive and is explained in more detail below. For information on the RoHS Directive, see our RoHS page. The most obvious link between the two Directives is that the RoHS Directive takes its scope largely from the WEEE Directive.

To check if a product is covered by both initiatives we display the 'Wheele bin' logo (displayed below) on all of our own brand products and only source those from suppliers or manufacturers which carry it.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive

The WEEE Directive is aimed at reducing the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment that ends up in landfill. This goal is to be achieved by changes throughout the EEE product cycle including improved product design to ease dismantling, recycling and reuse and, more significantly, provision of national WEEE collection points and processing systems. The latter allows consumers to put WEEE into a separate waste stream to other waste, resulting in it being processed, accounted for and reported to the national enforcement authority. The implementation of a national WEEE scheme requires involvement from national and local government, EEE manufacturers, distributors, vendors and consumers. Most EEE is covered by the Directive but there are specific exclusions for large scale industrial tools and products designed for military use.

To comply with WEEE regulations producers must join a Producer Compliance Scheme which provides a link between producers and environment agencies as well a number of services to enable WEEE to be effectively and economically recycled or reused. New EEE placed on the market must be marked with certain information to allow for correct disposal by the end user. Also information must be made available to treatment facilities so new products can be efficiently reprocessed.

Please note: AA Rechargeables are 1.2v unless otherwise stated. You may need to check full compatibility in your devices.