Guidance

Removing batteries, plugs and power cables from WEEE at HWRCs: RPS 295

Published 8 May 2024

Applies to England

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to comply with an environmental permit for a waste operation when you manually remove plugs, power cables and the batteries from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) at household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you if you do not comply with this legal requirement provided that:

• your activity meets the description set out in this RPS

• you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS

In addition, your activity must not cause (or be likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health, and must not:

• cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals

• cause a nuisance through noise or odours

• adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest

1. Activity this RPS applies to

This RPS applies when you manually remove at HWRCs:

• batteries from small mixed WEEE
• plugs and power cables from any WEEE

2. Conditions you must comply with

You must:

• follow the guidance in waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE): appropriate measures for permitted facilities
• remove the plugs, batteries and power cables from the items of WEEE under weatherproof covering
• store removed batteries in labelled leakproof containers that are either lidded or stored under cover to prevent any rainwater entering the storage containers
• store removed li-ion batteries separately to other battery chemistries
• pack and store removed lithium and lithium-ion batteries to minimise the likelihood of electrical shorting, physical impact and overheating
• label the stored lithium-ion batteries as a fire hazard
• store and recover, or dispose of the power cables and plugs as waste containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
• keep records for 2 years to show that you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the Environment Agency on request

You must not:

• dismantle or otherwise treat the batteries you have removed
• mix or store WEEE cable with non-WEEE cable
• store batteries you have removed for longer than 6 months

3. Things to note

For guidance on handling and disposing WEEE containing POPs see wastes from treating WEEE and WEEE components.

4. When you must check back

The Environment Agency intends to review this RPS by 30 April 2027.

The Environment Agency can withdraw or amend this regulatory position before the review date if they consider it necessary. This includes where the activity that this RPS relates to has not changed.

You will need to check back from time to time, including at and before the review date, to see if this RPS still applies.

This RPS remains in force until it is removed from GOV.UK or is otherwise identified as having been withdrawn.

You can subscribe to email updates about this RPS. These will tell you if the RPS has changed and when it has been withdrawn.

5. If you cannot comply with this RPS

If you operate under this RPS but can no longer comply with it, you must stop the activity to which this RPS relates and must tell the Environment Agency immediately. Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk and put ‘RPS 295’ in the subject.

6. Contact the Environment Agency

If you have any questions about this RPS email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk and put ‘RPS 295’ in the subject.