WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. 

The WEEE Regulations implement the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive and apply to electrical and electronic equipment sold in the UK. Equipment covered by this scheme is marked (if sold after 13th August 2005) with the symbol of the crossed wheelie bin.Much of the UK's WEEE ends up in landfill which could cause soil and water contamination. This can have a harmful effect on natural habitat, wildlife and also human health. The new regulations seek to minimise this.Are there any other ways of disposing of my old electronic equipment?Many electrical items that we throw away can also be repaired or recycled. Recycling items helps to save our natural resources and also reduces the environmental and health risks associated with sending electrical goods to landfill. The most effective form of recycling is re-using equipment. The WEEE Regulations seek to encourage re-use of whole appliances when these are discarded and where this is appropriate. If the piece of electronic equipment you have is still in working condition or could be repaired please consider donating it to a charity or giving it to someone else who could use it. Freecycle is an organisation of local groups who match people who have things they want to get rid of with people who can use them. Their goal is to keep usable items out of landfill and can be a very effective way of extending the life of many items thus contributing to the efficient use of resources and avoiding waste.

How the Regulations Affect You

•    As a consumer you have no legal obligations under the WEEE Regulations.

•    As a consumer who uses electronic equipment, the Regulations encourage you to play your part in the separate collection of WEEE when you discard equipment as waste.

•    In the UK you do not have to purchase new equipment to take advantage of this. You have the ability to deposit your WEEE in specific areas at civic amenity sites across the UK, and, in addition to this, at other specific collection facilities. You can find your nearest collection site at www.recycle-more.co.uk.
 

•    We are offering in-store take-back and will accept your old equipment on a like-for-like (old for new) basis when you make a replacement purchase of new equivalent equipment from us.
 If you do not purchase new EEE we are not obliged to accept your WEEE (you can of course still take it to a local collection facility).

Your Options for Disposal of your WEEE

If you decide not to reuse your old equipment you can recycle any waste electrical or electronic item at your local WEEE recycling depot. You can find the address of this from your local authority or via www.recycle-more.co.uk. Alternatively, when you buy new equipment from us, you can use our 'in-store' take back scheme described below.

'In-store' take-back

To meet our WEEE obligations we are offering our customers the option of returning their old Electrical and Electronic Equipment product to us when they buy a new one. To be eligible for return the old product must have the same function as the one you are buying. For example a torch for a torch, a radio controlled vehicle for a radio controlled vehicle. Date of manufacture, brand, where the old one was originally purchased, or features are not important.To take advantage of this service you should contact us with your order number, name, address and a description of the WEEE product that you wish to return to us within 28 days of delivery of your new equipment. We will then send you the information and authorisation to return the goods to us or make arrangements for their collection.