How to measure emissions from Waste electrical items

What counts as Waste electrical items

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) generated by the organisation and sent for treatment or disposal — including batteries, fridges and freezers, and mixed large or small electrical items. Excludes the original purchase of electrical items (see Electrical items), which is recorded as a separate purchased-goods activity.

Waste electrical items sits in the waste cluster under Scope 3 Category 5 and should be tracked separately from the purchase of the same items under Electrical items — the two occur at different points in an asset's life and are not netted against each other. WEEE treatment route (recycling, mixed disposal, or specific asset take-back for equipment such as routers) is captured through the waste type data entry option, since treatment route changes the outcome materially.

What activity data you need

Collect the most specific physical unit available. Unit definitions are in Appendix I — Description of Units.

• tonne
• Unit

Which emission scope it falls under

Waste electrical items activity data typically maps to Scope 3 Category 5 under the GHG Protocol. Confirm organisational boundary and ownership before reporting.

Sub-types available in the platform

All 8 sub-types available in the platform.

• Router: Broadband SAS: Sagemcom: End of Life
• Router: Technicolor: Access Gateway (DGA0122GOM): End of Life
• Router: Technicolor: Access Gateway (TG789VAC): End of Life
• WEEE - batteries
• WEEE - fridges and freezers
• WEEE - large
• WEEE - mixed
• WEEE - small

Data entry options

• waste type

  Select waste type when entering waste electrical items activity data in the platform.

Full list of data entry options

Common questions

We send mixed WEEE to a single recycler without splitting by item type — is that acceptable?

Use the "WEEE - mixed" sub-type when your contractor's paperwork does not distinguish item types; request an itemised breakdown for future collections if batteries or fridges/freezers make up a significant share, since they are tracked as separate sub-types with different intensities.

Do returned network equipment items (e.g. routers) count as WEEE?

Yes, equipment reaching end of life — including named router models where a specific end-of-life sub-type exists — should be recorded here using the unit count from your take-back or asset-retirement process, not under the general mixed WEEE sub-type if a specific match exists.

How do we choose the correct waste type (recycling vs landfill vs other)?

Use your waste contractor's consignment note or annual WEEE compliance certificate, which states the treatment route each batch received; do not assume recycling by default even if that is your policy intent, since actual treatment can differ.

Should batteries removed from equipment be recorded separately from the equipment itself?

Yes — battery waste has its own "WEEE - batteries" sub-type distinct from the appliance or device sub-type, so split battery removal from the wider equipment disposal where your contractor's reporting allows.

Does this entry include equipment we refurbish and resell rather than dispose of?

No — equipment that is refurbished and re-enters use (by you or a third party) is not waste; only equipment genuinely retired for treatment or disposal should be recorded here.