Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) treatment facilities

WEEE treatment facilities

Last updated 27/01/2025

The (WEEE) Regulations also apply to businesses in the waste management industry that operate WEEE treatment facilities.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Waste Management Licensing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 came into force on 5 January 2007 and deal with the site licensing and WEEE treatment requirements of the WEEE Directive.

The regulations include three additional exemptions from waste management licensing. These cover:

• storage of WEEE
• repair/refurbishment of WEEE
• lamp crushing prior to recovery

These exemptions need to be registered with the NIEA and are subject to certain restrictions. A prospective operator must send our Waste Management Licensing team a Waste Management Licence or Exemption from Waste Management Licensing. An operator will also need to ensure that the site has appropriate planning permission.

• Waste Management Licence
• Exemption from Waste Management Licensing

Treating WEEE

In order to treat WEEE, they will need to put in place the necessary equipment and processes that allow the WEEE to be treated to the required standard and in a way that does not cause harm to the environment, workers or people living nearby. A site that is appropriately licensed to treat WEEE is known as an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) for WEEE.

An operator of a treatment facility that has the necessary ATF licence can apply to be approved. Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATFs) are able to issue evidence of WEEE treatment and recovery. This evidence is required by Producer Compliance Schemes to show that they have met their obligations under the WEEE Regulations. There will be a similar approval process for exporters of WEEE for treatment or recovery.

Exporting WEEE

Exporting any waste for disposal is prohibited. The export of WEEE for recovery is permitted but is controlled by the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations (2007). These controls depend on the classification of the waste and the destination country. Many waste types require formal notification before the waste is allowed to leave the UK.

Hazardous WEEE cannot be exported for recovery to countries outside the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Televisions and monitors with cathode ray tubes are examples of WEEE classified as hazardous waste. Some of the components and materials derived from treating hazardous WEEE will themselves be classified as hazardous waste. Most permitted exports to non-OECD countries are subject to notification under the Waste Shipments Regulations.

Application forms to be an Approved ATF or an Approved Exporter of WEEE are available below.

• Approved ATF application form (WMP5)
• Approved Exporter application form (WMP6)

Quarterly returns and issuing WEEE evidence

Quarterly returns are required to be submitted by both AATFs and AEs. These are now submitted online via the WEEE Online Service, through which WEEE evidence must also be issued.

• https://weee.service.gov.uk/

Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities and Approved Exporters of WEEE 2025

The public register is periodically updated to reflect any changes to the status of approved ATFs or approved exporters, but may not be up to date at any given time. Therefore, it remains the responsibility of all schemes to exercise due diligence in ensuring that the evidence they obtain is valid and that it has been issued by an ATF or exporter who is approved.

If you have any questions, you should contact:

• WEEE team

An Authorised Treatment Facility or Approved Exporter that handles 400 tonnes or less is defined as "Small" and over 400 tonnes as "Large"

NIEA - Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (AATF) Operators - 2025

Facility	Address	Reference	Size	Contact
Avenue Recycling Ltd	Unit 1, Advantage Way, Ballygomartin Road, Belfast, BT12 6ND	WEE/NI2025AL/ATF	Large	Mr Michael McKee 028 9071 5700
Enva Northern Ireland Ltd (Carryduff)	Unit 1, 11 Comber Road, Carryduff, Co Down, BT8 8AN	WEE/NI2025AD/ATF	Small	Mr Leigh McNeill 028 9756 1574
Enva Northern Ireland Ltd (Toomebridge)	52 Creagh Road, Toomebridge, Co Antrim, BT41 3SE	WEE/NI2025AW/ATF	Large	Mr Les Doherty  028 7965 9659
Enva Northern Ireland Ltd (Toomebridge)	53 Creagh Road, Toomebridge, Co, Antrim, BT41 3SE	WEE/NI2025AY/ATF	Large	Mr Les Doherty 028 7965 9659
Greenbee Enterprises Ltd	Unit 6, Dennison Industrial Estate, Avondale Drive, Ballyclare, Co Antrim, BT39 9EB	WEE/NI2025AV/ATF	Small	Mr Brian Johnstone 028 9334 4155
New 2 You Reuse Centre/ Workshop	Pennyburn Recycling Centre, Unit 23, Pennyburn Industrial Estate, Londonderry, BT48 0LU	WEE/NI2025AT/ATF	Small	c/o Miss Nicola McCool (Derry City and Strabane District Council) 028 7136 0453
P Kane Metals Ltd	9-43 Shiels Street, Belfast, BT12 7LQ	WEE/NI2025AQ/ATF	Small	Mr Anthony Kane 028 9032 4191
Star Appliances Ltd	8 Neighbourhood Centre, Ballee Drive, Ballymena, BT42 3EX	WEE/NI2025AX/ATF	Small	Mr Matthew McDonald 07821 181756
Vyta	Unit 1, Mallusk View, Central Park, Mallusk, Newtownabbey, BT36 4FR	WEE/NI2025AA/ATF	Small	Mr Richard Duckett 028 9084 4400

Approved Exporters (AEs) 2025

Facility	Address	Reference	Size	Contact
Clearway Disposals Ltd	East Twin Road, Belfast Harbour Estate, Belfast, BT3 9EN	WEE/NI2025BB/EXP	Small	Dr Vincent Boyle 028 9045 7556
Enva Northern Ireland Ltd	52 Creagh Road, Toomebridge, Co Antrim, BT41 3SE	WEE/NI2025BJ/EXP	Small	Mr Les Doherty 028 7965 9659
Vanden Recycling Ltd	Floor 2, Lisburn Square House, 10 Haslems Lane, Lisburn, BT28 1TW	WEE/NI2025BG/EXP	Small	Mr David Wilson 028 9266 8009
Volker Gruppe Ltd	11 Bridge Street, Bangor, Co. Down, BT20 5AW, Northern Ireland, UK	WEE/NI2025BI/EXP	Small	Patrick Linnig 028 9122 8542

Other relevant articles

• NIEA Guidance on Single Use Vape Collection and Treatment
• Note on single use (disposable) vapes new in-store takeback obligation