Recycling

WEEE Regulations

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is now UK law. The legislation aims to make producers pay for the collection, treatment and recovery of waste electrical equipment.

Producer No. WEE/MM2568AA

The regulations also mean that suppliers of equipment like high street shops and internet retailers must allow consumers to return their waste equipment free of charge.

The amount of WEEE we throw away is increasing each year, making it the fastest growing waste stream in the UK. Much of the UK's WEEE ends up in landfill, where the lead and other toxins it contains can cause soil and water contamination. This can have a harmful effect on natural habitat, wildlife and also human health.

Many electrical items that we throw away can be repaired or recycled. Recycling items helps to save our natural finite resources and also reduces the environmental and health risks associated with sending electrical goods to landfill.

There is a network of recycling centres across the UK where consumers and end users of WEEE can take WEEE free of charge to be discarded, reused and/or recycled. The complete list of locations can be found at: www.recyclenow.com

Under the WEEE Regulations, all new electrical goods should now be marked with the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol shown below:

To remind you that old electrical equipment can be recycled, it is now marked with a crossed-out wheeled bin symbol. Please do not throw any electrical equipment (including those marked with the crossed out wheeled bin symbol) in your bin.