Recent legislation, the Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive,
aims to minimise the negative environmental effects caused by
sending waste electrical and electronic equipment to
landfill by maximising more environmentally sound methods of
reusing, recycling and recovery.
This kind of equipment often contain substances hazardous to the
environment or to health, requiring special waste management
arrangements. Depending on the item of equipment, these substances
can include ozone depleting chemicals (refrigeration
equipment), lead (display equipment such as televisions and
computer monitors that contain cathode ray tubes) and mercury
(fluorescent tubes including energy saving lightbulbs).
Safe disposal and recycling, free of charge
Householders can take any domestic items of waste electrical and
electronic equipment to any of the county's
household waste recycling centres, such as
those in this district at Felixstowe, Foxhall and Leiston, for
safe disposal and recycling, free of charge.
Examples of items of waste electrical and electronic equipment
that can be taken to the household waste recycling centres
include:
- Large or heavy domestic appliances such as fridges, freezers,
washing machines, cookers, microwaves, TVs, dishwashers, tumble
dryers.
- Electric lawn mowers.
- Home computing equipment.
- Smaller domestic appliances such as toasters, music equipment,
power tools, vacuum cleaners, hairdryers, torches, fire
alarms.
- Telecommunications equipment such as telephones (mobile and
landline types).
- Battery operated toys.
- All lightbulbs (including incandescent lightbulbs, energy
saving lightbulbs, and fluorescent tubes and strips).
- Any household batteries including rechargeables.
- Vehicle batteries.
- And any other household item that ran from the mains power or
from batteries.
Some alternatives
Some retailers might offer to take back your end-of-life item of
waste electrical or electronic equipment when you buy a new one of
a similar sort, though they may also suggest that you take it to
your local
household waste recycling centre.
As an alternative to taking items to a household waste
recycling centre, householders can use the
bulky
waste collection service offered by Suffolk Coastal Services to
have bulky items of waste electrical and electronic equipment
collected, for which a charge will be made.
If the item that you wish to get rid of is still in safe and
proper working order, you could offer it to family or friends, or
you could offer it to a new home on the
freecycle website.
Advice for businesses
Businesses and individuals can use the
Eastex Materials Exchange, a free online service
that allows you to exchange unwanted materials. There are also a
number of other
resources locally that may help businesses
with their initiatives to recycle waste electrical and
electronic equipment.
Businesses can also find out
more about the WEEE regulations and how they
apply to them on the NetRegs website.
Further information
If you want any more information or advice about recycling
and our waste and recycling services, you can contact us
on 01394 444000 or email
scsltd@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.