WEEE Recycling at Home

Every year, a lot of household and commercial electronic and electrical equipment are improperly disposed of in landfills. Improper disposal of electronic wastes are detrimental to the environment and also impact the health condition of the community. Some electronic wastes have components or parts that contain mercury, lead, cadmium, and other hazardous elements. Over a period of time, these equipments, that have been accumulating in the landfill, break down and release these dangerous substances in the soil and water.

Electronic and electrical equipment are necessities in the home and workplace. Although these items are valued for their specific purpose, they are easily ditched for new and upgraded models once obsolete. To ensure that these items are properly disposed of, supportive environmental legislation had been enacted to provide regulations and rules for compliance.

About the WEEE Directive

The overall aim of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is to encourage the recovery, reuse and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment by requiring manufacturers to take responsibility in recycling their products. WEEE recycling requires compliance not only from product manufacturers but also importers, retailers, sellers and businesses with equipment to dispose.

The directive supports the establishment of take-back facilities that provides free or minimal fees for collecting WEEE equipment. As a result of the directive, some retailers take back the product themselves to ensure proper disposal and recycling.

Individuals can help enforce the direct by actively implementing WEEE recycling at home. WEEE directive, per se, does not have a provision penalizing individuals and households for disposing equipment in the bin, however, ensuring proper disposal of the items is a responsibility of all members of the community.

Recycling at Home

There are several things that households can do to ensure WEEE recycling at home. The first step is to know what items are classified under WEEE. According to the UK Environmental Agency, equipment that fall under this category includes household appliances, IT and telecommunication equipment, consumer equipment, lighting, electrical and electronic tools, toys and leisure equipment, automatic dispensers, and monitoring and control equipment. Medical devices are also included in the list but are exempted from recovery and recycling targets.

Households are encouraged to separate WEEE items using the list as a reference. Once these items are ready for recycling, the next step is to look for a list of civic amenity, take back or government-supported facilities that are required by law to receive the items.

Another option is to contact local retailers and sellers and ask for their take-back policy for previously purchased products. If the take back option is not available, obtain information about recommended facilities and recycling centers. Take note that the WEEE directive requires retailers to provide information about facilities and procedures for proper disposal of electronic and electrical items.

Proper disposal of WEEE items provide long term benefits to the community and the environment. As part of the community, households play an important role in ensuring successful compliance to the provisions of the WEEE directive and other environmental regulations.