From 1st July 2007 the UK’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations have been introduced to give consumers the opportunity to deposit their old electrical items for recycling and disposing safely and responsibly.

The goals of the WEEE Regulations are:

All waste that is not segregated for recycling is either buried at a landfill site or burnt, where toxins may put communities at risk. The WEEE regulations aim is to reduce the quantity of electrical items that are disposed of in this way – which will have significant benefits for everyone.

What are GHC doing to help?
GHC are trying to create a wider awareness of the impact that WEEE has on the environment at the end of it’s useful life, as well as promoting the safe and responsible ways that electrical equipment can be recycled or disposed.

Furthermore, in order for consumers to be able to recycle more electrical equipment easily, GHC are financially contributing towards the provision of WEEE collection/disposal facilities and recycling costs.

What can consumers do to help? All new electrical equipment is marked with the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol. This symbol aims to encourage the separation of electrical equipment from normal household waste when being disposed of at the end of it’s useful life. When this symbol is present on any electrical equipment, the safe and responsible way to dispose of it is at a local WEEE collection/disposal facility. The crossed out wheelie bin symbol was introduced in 2005, If electrical equipment does not feature this logo then it was probably manufactured prior to this date, however, older electrical equipment should also be disposed of in the same safe and responsible manner.

Where can I dispose of old electrical equipment? Due to the contributions made by GHC and other electrical retailers, recycling your electrical waste has never been easier. There are now hundreds of recycling sites in the UK for waste electrical goods. To find your nearest site visit www.recycle-more.co.uk and simply type your postcode in the ‘Recycling Near You’ section for a handy map of the recycling sites in your area. The site also features lots of information and advice on all aspects of recycling, making it quick and simple for everyone to recycle-more!