Recycling

Why WEEE?

From 1 July 2007, government regulations called the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations came into force to encourage people to arrange collections or recycling of old electrical products, rather than throwing them away.

All Electronic and Electrical Equipment (EEE) placed onto the market from January 2, 2007 must be marked with the crossed out wheelie bin symbol shown here.

Image to be added here

This indicates that it is covered by the WEEE Regulations. The WEEE Regulations require that producers or manufacturers of EEE become liable to pay for take-back treatment and recycling of end of life equipment (WEEE).

Why is recycling electrical goods important?

Recycling unwanted Electrical products is better for the environment. Electrical devices and batteries, rechargeable or not, should not be disposed of into ordinary household waste. Instead, they should be recycled properly to protect the environment and also to cut down the waste of precious resources.

How do I recognise WEEE?

It is simply EEE marked with the crossed out wheelie bin symbol shown above, that has come to the end of its life.

What are Russell Hobbs obligations in relation to WEEE?

We encourage the take-back of household WEEE from UK consumers by our membership of a Government approved "Distributor Take-Back scheme" (DTS) set up by Valpak Limited (Valpak). Through Valpak we contribute to the establishment of a network of Designated Collection Facilities (DCF) where consumers may dispose of their WEEE free of charge for recycling and treatment in an ecologically sound manner. By doing this we encourage consumers to dispose of WEEE in a way that maximises its re-use and recycling. Having chosen this approach we will not ourselves accept returns of household WEEE for recycling, nor do we make arrangements for its collection.

Is Russell Hobbs WEEE compliant?

The quick answer is yes, but please click here to view our WEEE compliance certificate which gives our WEEE producer registration details.

How do we ensure safe disposal of WEEE?

We encourage consumers to dispose of WEEE at DCFs. These facilities are run to maximise the potential for recycling of WEEE. WEEE which cannot be re-cycled is disposed of in an ecologically controlled and sound manner ensuring the minimum adverse environmental impact possible. If you visit www.recycle-more.co.uk and enter your postcode it will tell you where the nearest DCF to you is located, alternatively your local authority, city council or waste management authority will be able to inform and advise you about recycling in your area.

Some WEEE may contain small amounts of substances, which if exposed, might have detrimental effects on sensitive environments and possibly human health. That is why all WEEE that you volunteer for recycling will be specifically collected by DCF's and then safely treated at regulated and approved recycling and disposal centres. By ensuring that you dispose of your old electrical equipment according to the WEEE regulations, you are helping to preserve our natural resources and protect human health.

Can you dispose of electrical equipment in any other ways?

If your old piece of electrical equipment is still safe and in a good working order please consider donating it to a charitable organisation or give it to someone else in need. By extending the lifetime of your old equipment you are also contributing to the efficient use of resources and avoiding additional waste.