There’s no denying that electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) have become essential parts of our everyday lives. The recent proliferation of devices like mobile phones, laptops, and tablets, has led to a significant increase in the amount of electronic and electrical equipment waste generated.
This waste is commonly referred to as WEEE waste, which stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The UK government has put in place regulations to ensure the proper disposal and management of WEEE waste.
Read on to find out more about WEEE waste, WEEE regulations, and WEEE disposing tips and tricks.
What exactly is WEEE waste?
Like we mentioned above, WEEE waste is waste generated from electronic and electrical equipment that has reached the end of its useful life. However, you can’t just throw WEEE into your normal bin as it can be hazardous to the environment and human health if not properly disposed of.
WEEE waste can include:
- Computers
- Laptops
- Printers
- Telephone handsets
- Lighting equipment
- Electrical and electronic tools
- Medical devices (sanitised machines, analysers, freezers etc)
- EPOS systems
- Televisions
- Mobile phones, and other similar electronic devices.
- Photovoltaic panels
- Monitoring and control equipment (smoke alarms, thermostats)
What are the WEEE Regulations in the UK?
The UK government has put in place regulations to ensure that WEEE waste is properly disposed of and managed. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013 require all producers of electronic and electrical equipment to take responsibility for the waste they generate. Producers must ensure that the waste is collected, treated, and disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. The regulations apply to both household and non-household equipment.
What is the WEEE compliance scheme?
Producers must register with a compliance scheme, which will take care of the collection, treatment, and disposal of the waste. These compliance schemes ensure that WEEE waste is handled in an environmentally friendly manner and work with authorised treatment facilities, which have the expertise and equipment to safely dispose or recycle WEEE waste.
The regulations also require that all businesses that sell electronic and electrical equipment take back the waste when a customer buys a new product. This means that when a customer buys a new electronic device, they can return the old one to the store. The store then has the responsibility of ensuring that the waste is collected and treated in an environmentally friendly way.
How should I get rid of personal WEEE waste?
To get rid of WEEE waste as an individual, you can take their waste to designated collection points. These collection points are located at local council recycling centres and certain shops like B&Q and Morrisons.
If you are a company, you can trust our team at Plexstar to use our 40 years of experience to safely dispose of your WEEE in a secure and environmentally conscious way. Have a look at our WEEE disposal services.
So, what’s the deal with business WEEE waste disposal?
If you’re part of an electronic, IT, or telecommunications company who need to dispose of WEEE waste easily without doing damage to the environment, can use the WEEE disposal services we offer at Plexstar.
Find out more about us here, and remember, by working together, we can ensure that WEEE waste is managed in a safe and sustainable way.