T11 waste exemption: repairing or refurbishing waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)

Types of activity you can carry out

These include:

• a business collecting waste computers from householders and businesses that no longer want them
• a reclamation group receiving waste electrical goods collected by the local authority from businesses and households

Both sort out the waste equipment into those that can be repaired and those that cannot. Once sorted they repair some items and dismantle the rest to be reused as parts.

Types of activity you cannot carry out

You cannot:

• mechanically treat WEEE, for example, by shredding, granulation or compaction
• de-gas ozone depleting substances such as CFCs and HCFCs
• treat WEEE to be disposed of to landfill or incinerated
• mix hazardous waste with other hazardous or non-hazardous waste
• accept or treat fluorescent light bulbs or tubes
• repair or refurbish WEEE that is persistent organic pollutant (POPs) waste for re-use

Types of waste you can treat

The waste codes are listed in the List of Wastes (LoW) Regulations. You need to make sure your waste fits within the relevant waste code and description.

Waste code	Type of waste
16 02 11*	WEEE containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
16 02 13*	WEEE containing hazardous substances or components other than polychlorinated biphenyls, CFC, HCFC or HFC, or free asbestos
16 02 14	WEEE not containing hazardous substances or components
16 02 16	Non hazardous components removed from discarded equipment
20 01 23*	WEEE containing CFCs
20 01 35*	WEEE containing hazardous components other than fluorescent tubes and other mercury containing waste or CFCs
20 01 36	WEEE not containing hazardous substances or components

(*) An asterisk at the end of a code means the waste is hazardous.

Codes from chapter 20 of the waste classification technical guidance take precedence over codes from chapter 16.

Chapter 20 codes are for WEEE from a household, or items of a similar type from industrial and commercial sources.

Chapter 16 codes are for commercial and industrial type or sized items, not typically produced by a domestic household.

Amount of waste you can treat

You can store or treat up to 1,000 tonnes over any 12-month period. Treat means to repair, refurbish or dismantle.

Key conditions

The key conditions are:

• you must use the best available treatment, recovery and recycling techniques (BATRRT) when treating the waste – read BATRRT guidance for more information
• the place where WEEE is stored or treated should have an impermeable surface with facilities for collecting spillages and, where appropriate, decanters and cleanser-degreasers
• the area where WEEE is stored should have a weatherproof covering – a covered container or roofed building
• whole and dismantled WEEE components should be stored appropriately to prevent damage which could stop them being reused or pose a risk to the environment
• hazardous waste, such as batteries, should be stored in suitable containers
• the purpose must be to ensure that the WEEE is put back to use as whole equipment if possible

If WEEE cannot be put back to use as whole equipment, it can be taken apart so the components can be used again. If that is not possible, equipment can be taken apart so the materials can be recycled.

You should refer to WEEE: Appropriate measures for permitted facilities to help you comply with BATRRT.

Related exemptions

You cannot register an S2 exemption to increase the storage capacity of the T11 exemption.

Register a T11 exemption

You need to register a T11 exemption with the Environment Agency if you meet the requirements.

You’ll need to provide the:

• number of tonnes of each type of waste you’ll store or treat over a 12-month period
• type of business or organisation you represent
• name of your business or organisation
• company number, registered name and address if you’re registering a limited company or limited liability partnership
• charity number of your organisation if it’s registered with the Charity Commission
• address or Ordnance Survey (OS) grid reference of the waste operation

There is a charge for the 3-year period, for this exemption only.

Start now

After you register an exemption

The Environment Agency will add the waste exemption information in your application to a public register of environmental information.

You can ask us to exclude the information from the public register if:

• the exemption is commercially confidential
• it’s in the interest of national security – you’ll need to send a letter to the Secretary of State to explain the reason and upload it as part of your registration

We will not progress your registration until we receive the decision from the Secretary of State.

Related permits

If you want to treat more than the amount of waste allowed under this exemption, you must apply for an environmental permit.

Definitions

Impermeable surface – a surface or pavement constructed and maintained to a standard that can prevent liquids seeping beyond the surface.