On January 1st 2014 the laws changed on recycling and WEEE came into force. This legislation is a legal requirement for responsibly recycling WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) products, anything that has a plug or takes a battery can be classed as WEEE. It is believed that each year companies and households around the UK discard 2 million tonnes of WEEE products from large fridge freezers to toner cartridges. A lot of these items are hazardous to our environment and our health therefore we need to take extra care when disposing of these, for example toners need to be removed fully intact, preventing the toner powder from dispersing, and placed into a suitably labelled container.
If you are a manufacturer or sell EEE in the UK then you are also responsible to inform customers about any take back schemes you offer and the damaging effects of not recycling, you must also explain the what the crossed out wheelie-bin sticker means to all customers.
If you fail to comply with this law then you may receive warning notices and formal cautions from the Magistrates’ Court, however they can also push for prosecution and issue a £5000 fine, in some cases the Crown Court may issue an unlimited fine.
These laws are always changing so it is a good idea to keep up to date and if you require more information visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/waste/waste-electrical.htm or https://www.gov.uk/electricalwaste-producer-supplier-responsibilities.
If you require any further information regarding our own collection scheme please contact us on info@greenagenda.co.uk
