The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is European legislation which became law in the UK in January 2007. Due to a series of delays in the UK this was delayed a number of times. WEEE recycling covers the collection, recycling and recovery of all electrical products. Basically anything which requires a plug or battery with a voltage rating not exceeding 1000v AC or 1500v DC comes under the WEEE recycling directive with only a few exceptions.
WEEE recycling covers ten main groups of products, although this list is subject to review.
- Large household appliances – e.g. fridges and washing machines
- Small household appliances – e.g. irons and vacuum cleaners
- IT and telecoms equipment – e.g. PCs and fax machines
- Consumer equipment – e.g. TVs and musical instruments
- Lighting equipment – e.g. fluorescent tubes
- Electrical electronic tools – e.g. drills and electric lawnmowers
- Toys, leisure and sports equipment – e.g. running machines
- Medical services – e.g. radiotherapy equipment
- Monitoring and control equipment – e.g. smoke detectors and scales
- Automatic dispensers – e.g. hot drinks dispensers
WEEE recycling covers producers, retailers and consumers of electrical and electronic equipment so it will be necessary to make yourself aware of how the final laws will affect you. In the case of householders the directive aims to reduce the amount of applicable waste which ends up in land fill sites. For consumers and businesses a number of recycling companies already exist which offer to assist in disposing correctly of your electrical waste. Contact your local authority, look through your phone book or search the web for more information of what is available in your area.
Further information on WEEE recycling can be found at www.environment-agency.gov.uk
For further information on Recycling click on the links below
