Electrical take-back: what records must I keep?
Give customers free written take-back information and keep evidence of how you provided it. Record accepted units, units returned to a producer compliance scheme and all disposal documents. Keep these records for 4 years. Cambridge China Bridge sources electrical products with its own staff in China.
Keep a separate take-back file
This guide covers records for your own household electrical take-back service. For importing and producer responsibilities, use our WEEE importer guide; for the wider product requirements, see importing electrical goods.
As a practical filing method, connect the customer notice, intake log and collection paperwork through a shared reference. Assign someone to maintain the file and someone to check that collected items have supporting handover documents.
Tell customers what the service does
Your free written information must explain the take-back service, including collection on delivery; reuse and recycling; why electrical waste needs separating; the damaging effects of not recycling; and the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol. Online retailers must publish this information on their website.
For shops, GOV.UK gives posters and leaflets supplied with products as examples. Make the instructions usable: state where customers should bring items, how to arrange collection and whom to contact. Check that the wording matches what staff and delivery contractors actually offer.
Save evidence of the notices
You must keep records of how you tell customers about the service. As practical evidence, save dated website captures, poster photographs and the leaflet versions used. Record where each version appeared and when it was replaced.
Keep the actual wording alongside the publication evidence. A current website page alone does not show what customers saw before a change. Ask whoever updates the website or printed material to archive the outgoing version.
Count accepted units and match collections
Your records must cover all electrical waste collected and disposed of, including units received through take-back and how many were returned to a producer compliance scheme. Keep all documents you create or receive from the scheme or treatment facility when disposing of the waste.
For a usable log, record receipt date, item type, accepted quantity, storage location and collection reference. Link the collector's receipt and destination details to the outgoing entry. Reconcile accepted items, items still held and items handed over; investigate differences rather than treating a collection booking as proof of collection.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
Retain a file you can retrieve
GOV.UK says to keep all these records for 4 years. Apply that instruction to customer-notice evidence, intake records and disposal documents, rather than keeping only the collection invoices.
Organise files by service location and reporting period, with backups and a named owner. Before changing contractors or software, export the log and its attachments. Test retrieval by selecting a collection and tracing its documents back to the intake entries.
Frequently asked questions
How long must I keep electrical take-back records?
GOV.UK says 4 years. Keep customer-notice evidence, accepted-unit records and disposal documents together.
What must my take-back notice say?
Explain your service, including collection on delivery, reuse and recycling, waste separation, the damaging effects of not recycling and the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol. The written information must be free.
Do online electrical retailers need a website notice?
Yes. Publish the required customer information on your website. Save dated copies as practical evidence of the wording customers could see.
Is a waste collection invoice enough?
An invoice alone does not cover the required records. You also need accepted-unit counts, counts returned to a producer compliance scheme, disposal documents and evidence of how you informed customers.