The Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE) regulations were introduced in the UK to
reduce the amount of this type of waste going to landfill and
to improve recovery and recycling rates.
Electrical and electronic equipment often contains 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 light bulbs).
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 (new
window), 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 light bulbs, 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 (new
window).
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 (new window).
Advice for businesses
Businesses and individuals can use the
Eastex Suffolk materials exchange, a free
online service that allows businesses and individuals to
exchange unwanted materials. There are also a number of
other resources locally that may help businesses (new
window) with their initiatives to recycle waste electrical
and electronic equipment.
Businesses can also find
out more about the WEEE regulations (new window)
and how they apply to them on the NetRegs website.
Further information
If you would like more information or advice about
recycling or our waste and recycling services contact
Suffolk Coastal Services on 01394 444000
or email
scsltd@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.