Categories of EEE

The 10 categories of electrical and electronic equipment (Annex 1A to the Directive, transposed as Schedule 1 to the WEEE Regulations, are as follows:

1.	Large household appliances
2.	Small household appliances
3.	IT and telecommunications equipment
4.	Consumer equipment
5.	Lighting equipment
6.	Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools)
7.	Toys, leisure and sports equipment
8.	Medical devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected products)
9.	Monitoring and control instruments
10.	Automatic dispensers

  

In the Regulations, there are three other categories:

11 - display equipment;

12 - cooling appliances containing refrigerants; and

13 - gas discharge lamps.

 Annex IB to the Directive, transposed as Schedule 2 to the WEEE Regulations, provides a non-exhaustive list of products that would fall under each category:

1. Large household appliances

Refrigerators
Freezers
Other large appliances used for refrigeration, conservation and storage of food
Washing machines
Clothes dryers
Dish washing machines
Cooking
Electric stoves
Electric hot plates
Microwaves
Other large appliances used for cooking and other processing of food
Electric heating appliances
Electric radiators
Other large appliances for heating rooms, beds, seating furniture
Electric fans
Air conditioner appliances
Other fanning, exhaust ventilation and conditioning equipment

2. Small household appliances

Vacuum cleaners
Carpet sweepers
Other appliances for cleaning
Appliances used for sewing, knitting, weaving and other processing for textiles
Irons and other appliances for ironing, mangling and other care of clothing
Toasters
Fryers
Grinders, coffee machines and equipment for opening or sealing containers or packages
Electric knives
Appliances for hair-cutting, hair drying, tooth brushing, shaving, massage and other body care appliances
Clocks, watches and equipment for the purpose of measuring, indicating or registering time
Scales

3. IT and telecommunications equipment

Centralised data processing:
Mainframes
Minicomputers
Printer units
Personal computing:
Personal computers (CPU, mouse, screen and keyboard included)
Laptop computers (CPU, mouse, screen and keyboard included)
Notebook computers
Notepad computers
Printers
Copying equipment
Electrical and electronic typewriters
Pocket and desk calculators
Other products and equipment for the collection, storage, processing, presentation or communication of information by electronic means
User terminals and systems
Facsimile
Telex
Telephones
Pay telephones
Cordless telephones
Cellular telephones
Answering systems
Other products or equipment of transmitting sound, images or other information by telecommunications

4. Consumer equipment

Radio sets
Television sets
Videocameras
Video recorders
Hi-fi recorders
Audio amplifiers
Musical instruments
Other products or equipment for the purpose of recording or reproducing sound or images, including signals or other technologies for the distribution of sound and image than by telecommunications

5. Lighting equipment

Luminaires for fluorescent lamps with the exception of luminaires in households
Straight fluorescent lamps
Compact fluorescent lamps
High intensity discharge lamps, including pressure sodium lamps and metal halide lamps
Low pressure sodium lamps
Other lighting or equipment for the purpose of spreading or controlling light with the exception of filament bulbs

6. Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools)

Drills
Saws
Sewing machines
Equipment for turning, milling, sanding, grinding, sawing, cutting, shearing, drilling, making holes, punching, folding, bending or similar processing of wood, metal and other materials
Tools for riveting, nailing or screwing or removing rivets, nails, screws or similar uses
Tools for welding, soldering or similar use
Equipment for spraying, spreading, dispersing or other treatment of liquid or gaseous substances by other means
Tools for mowing or other gardening activities

7. Toys, leisure and sports equipment

Electric trains or car racing sets
Hand-held video game consoles
Video games
Computers for biking, diving, running and rowing
Sports equipment with electric or electronic components
Coin slot machines

8. Medical devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected products)

Radiotherapy equipment
Cardiology
Dialysis
Pulmonary ventilators
Nuclear medicine
Laboratory equipment for in-vitro diagnosis
Analysers
Freezers
Fertilization tests
Other appliances for detecting, preventing, monitoring, treating, alleviating illness, injury or disability

9. Monitoring and control instruments

Smoke detector
Heating regulators
Thermostats
Measuring, weighing or adjusting appliances for household or laboratory equipment
Other monitoring and control instruments used in industrial installations (for example, in control panels)

10. Automatic dispensers

Automatic dispensers for hot drinks
Automatic dispensers for hot or cold bottles or cans
Automatic dispensers for solid products
Automatic dispensers for money
All appliances which deliver automatically all kind of products

Note that, in the Regulations, EEE and WEEE is split into:

(i)	the 10 categories above (excluding display equipment, cooling appliances containing refrigerants and gas discharge lamps),
(ii)	display equipment (Category 11),
(iii)	cooling appliances containing refrigerants (Category 12), and
(iv)	gas discharge lamps (Category 13).