News Extra New WEEE regulations published
New regulations that will require online marketplaces to fi nance recycling of electrical waste were published on 3 June 2025.
T
he new waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) regulations laid before parliament close a crucial loophole that has allowed non-compliant products to be sold via online marketplaces.
Commenting on the news, Recolight CEO Nigel Harvey said: “For over a decade, online marketplaces have facilitated the sale of WEEE non-compliant products on an industrial scale. The consequences have been very damaging for legitimate UK businesses. The sellers of non-compliant products have gained an unfair advantage because they do not pay their share of recycling costs. But to add insult to injury, that has in turn meant that WEEE costs to compliant businesses have been higher than needed.” The new regulations mean that online marketplaces must report all household electricals within the scope of the existing WEEE regulations from non-UK suppliers. As a
Industry Event
Rewiring the future C
onsumer safety charity Electrical Safety First is pleased to announce that its annual Electrical Product Safety Conference will be taking place on Thursday 16 October 2025, at The Mermaid, Puddle Dock, London. The event, now in its 17th year, is sponsored by UL Standards & Engagement, and hosted in conjunction with International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organisation (ICPHSO).
The Electrical Product Safety Conference serves as a platform for experts and leaders to delve into pressing issues, off er solutions and share insights into the evolving landscape of electrical product safety. The theme for this year’s conference, ‘Back to Basics’, highlights that in today’s fast-paced technological world and complex supply chains, getting the basics right benefi ts both businesses and consumer safety. It will look at the core discussions, changes and challenges that directly impact and infl uence the work of electrical safety.
The conference will highlight challenges and best practice relating to e-mobility, considerations as we transition to sustainable product design, risks of counterfeit products and how to limit their accessibility, as well as a look at emerging problems and solutions as we progress through the later part of the second decade of the 21st century.
The line-up will include speakers from UL Standards & Engagement, Offi ce for Product Safety and Standards, as well as leading voices in
18 | electrical wholesalerJuly 2025
Electrical Safety First tackles safety, e-mobility and AI at annual Electrical Product Safety Conference.
consequence, online marketplaces will incur some additional WEEE costs in 2026, with full costs being allocated from 2027. The lighting industry has been particularly impacted by the scale of freeriding on online marketplaces. A survey by the UK WEEE Scheme Forum showed that 76% of LED lamps off ered for sale on a major marketplace were not registered for WEEE.
Nigel Harvey added: “This is a great day for many companies in the UK lighting industry. At last, the end is in sight for this unfair competition. Recolight has pushed long and hard for this change, on behalf of our 220 members.” “The mechanism that the government has chosen to implement the change is particularly effi cient: rather than requiring many tens of thousands of non-UK companies to register for WEEE, they have instead placed that obligation on the small number of online marketplaces. That makes enforcement by the UK environment
agencies much more straightforward.” The regulations will need to pass through both houses of parliament and can be seen and downloaded at:
www.recolight.co.uk/ Recolight is the leading UK WEEE compliance scheme for the lighting industry, taking on responsibility for its members’ WEEE compliance; giving its customers access to the UK’s most comprehensive free lamp collection and recycling service; and helping to ensure that as many lamps as possible are kept out of landfi ll.
consumer protection and standards.
Attendees will also be able to sign up for the ICPHSO symposium on 14-15 October, as well as the Electrical Product Safety Conference on 16 October, to enjoy a full three days of expert speakers leading discussion on the future of product safety.
Lesley Rudd, chief executive of Electrical Safety First, said: “I am eager to see how the valuable discussions and collaborations that arise from this year’s event contribute to shaping a safer future for electrical products.” www.electricalsafetyfi
rst.org.uk/conference
ewnews.co.uk
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