The long awaited Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations came into force in the UK today.

In the UK, over one million tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment ends up in landfill every year. Most of this e–waste is toxic and we’re running out of landfill sites.

The directive will force all manufacturers and importers of equipment such as PCs to printers as well as electrical and electronic gadgets and gizmos to reduce the amount of this waste going to landfill, by increasing the recovery and recycling rates.

The directive was originally supposed to become law in the UK in August 2005. However it has been dogged by uncertainty and disagreements between manufacturers and retailers over responsibilities and certain aspects of complying with the directive.

This meant that the legislation kept getting put back. Finally, last year, the Department for Trade and Industry set the date for the law to come into force for 2 January 2007.

There are certain requirements for WEEE: manufacturers will have to make sure they put in place separate collection, disposal and recycling provisions as well as meet standards for its treatment at authorised facilities.

Manufacturers (often called producers under the directive), importers and retailers will next have to have made sure they have joined a compliance scheme by 15 March. Producers will also have to mark electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) by 1 April.

But it is feared many companies, mainly smaller computer builders and retailers, are still not prepared for the new law.

It is also still unclear how WEEE waste will be picked up from consumers, or how local authorities will deal with this, even though full responsibility for treating and recycling household WEEE begins on 1 July this year.

However ultimately it is expected that consumers will end up footing some of the bill by paying higher prices for electrical and electronic goods at the point of sale.