Guidelines on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations published by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) declare that small businesses will have to bear just as much responsibility for their disposal of electrical waste as any other.
According to the DTI guide, "the WEEE Regulations apply to all businesses regardless of size".
The guidelines also state that there are "no exceptions" for smaller firms, but that the government is "working to ensure that any costs to [small firms] are not disproportionate".
The regulations will mean that businesses that manufacture, brand, import, sell or store electrical and electronic equipment will now be responsible for funding collection and recycling activities.
Businesses of all sizes will be required to record who they buy their electronic equipment from, since producers will be responsible for collecting any waste equipment purchased after August 13th 2005.
The objective of the new government guidelines is to ensure that electrical and electronic products are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner at the end of their lives.
The guidelines will come into effect on July 1st, and will have an impact on all businesses that deal with electrical and electronic equipment.
