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UK Falls Below European Average In WEEE Recycling

UK Falls Below European Average In WEEE Recycling

  
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Waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling rates survey ranks the UK just below average in the pan-European results

 

The UK’s WEEE recycling performance placed it slightly below the average for the countries included in the ERP survey, placing the UK in sixth place among the nations surveyed by ERP, well below the best-performing nation Norway (19kg per head) but well above the lowest tonnage, recorded by Poland (3.7kg per head).

 

The 7.5 kilogram (kg) per head of population of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) collected for recycling in the UK in 2010 puts it below the 8.26kg per person average recorded by the ERP survey, which took in 11 European nations.

 

ERP’s chief executive and president, Umberto Raiteri, said the results would allow it to gauge recycling habits across each country and to encourage householders to recycle more.

 

The UK, and all the other countries surveyed except Poland, all collected above the 4kg per head collection target required under the EU WEEE Directive.

 

“We have found the results of this research both interesting and useful,” said Umberto Raiteri. “Interesting because it gives us some insight into the different behaviours and attitudes of varying nationalities to recycling, and useful, because it helps us in shaping future success in recycling around Europe.”

 

“We know that one size does not fit all, each country faces different challenges, but it is up to us to address those challenges as best we can and tailor our service to be cost effective and efficient for our member companies,” he added.

UK WEEE RECYCLING SOLUTIONS

UK WEEE RECYCLING SOLUTIONS

In January 2003 the EU published the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive. In December 2006 UK WEEE Legislation was approved by Parliament. This set of legislation then came into force in England and Wales (the UK) in 2007.

 

The legislation aims to reduce the amount of electrical waste going to landfill, and to encourage recycling and reuse.

 

ARE YOU AFFECTED BY THE NEW WEEE REGULATIONS?

 

The new WEEE Regulations makes business users, manufacturers and retailers of electrical and electronics equipment responsible for making sure their goods do not end up in landfill or incineration, where the toxic chemicals (PCB’s, Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury), metals and associated solders (Lead & Tin), glues and plastics can cause environmental and health problems.

 

The original regululations define 10 Categories of WEEE as follows: -

 

1. Large household appliances
2. Small household appliances
3. IT and telecommunications equipment
4. Consumer equipment
5. Lighting equipment
6. Electrical and electronic tools (excepting large-scale stationary industrial tools)
7. Toys, leisure and sports equipment
8. Medical devices (excepting implanted and infected products)
9. Monitoring and control instruments
10. Automatic dispensers

 

IT-GREEN® offers A COMPLETE RECYCLING PACKAGE FOR ALL ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC WEEE WITH A FULL AUDIT TRAIL AND CAN SUPPLY REGULAR COLLECTIONS FOR ONGOING CONTRACTS OR QUOTE ON ONE-OFF PICK-UPS. NO ITEM IS TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL FOR COLLECTION COMPLYING WITH THE WEEE REGULATIONS NEEDN’T GIVE YOU A HEADACHE - CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION