RECYCLING ELECTRICAL ITEMS
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the fastest growing waste stream in the EU, some estimates put the amount generated at 14-20kg per person per year.
Large items
Large electrical goods (for example: fridges, freezer, washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, etc.) can be brought to your household waste reycling sites for porper disposal and recycling.
The shop you bought it from should also operate a take-back scheme allowing you to leave the item for them to recycle.
Smaller electrical items
It is much easier to drop small electrical items in the bin and householder may not even realise that such items can be recycled or that they pose a problem to the environment if disposed off in the general waste.
There are a bewildering variety of small electrical items you have in the home or on your person: mobile phones, computers peripherals, irons, toasters, kettles, novelty items, Christmas lights, clocks, memory sticks, music players – the list goes on and on and is added to every year. None of these items should be put in the general waste and most have some components that can be recycled.
Household waste recycling sites
Every one of the household waste recycling sites operated by Premier has a WEEE collection point for both large and small items. Items deposited there will be disposed of responsibly and recycled.
Consider reuse
A lot of these items can be reused so you may consider selling it on or donating the item to your local charity shop or swopping it using an online service such as freecycle.
Not sure if it is WEEE?
Not sure if an item counts as WEEE – a general rule is: if it has a plug, uses a battery (even if the battery comes out), plugs into something that has a plug or battery, or has a symbol of a crossed out wheelie bin on it – it is WEEE and should not be put in the bin.
