WEEE Regulations

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is now UK law. The legislation aims to make producers pay for the collection, treatment and recovery of waste electrical equipment. The regulations also mean that suppliers of equipment like high street shops and internet retailers must accept customers to return their waste equipment free of charge.

The amount of WEEE we throw away is increasing by around 5% each year, making it the fastest-growing waste stream in the UK.

Much of the UK's WEEE ends up in a landfill, where the lead and other toxins it contains can cause soil and water contamination. This can have harmful effects on natural habitats, wildlife and also human health.

Many electrical items that we improperly dispose of can be repaired or recycled. Recycling items helps to save our natural finite resources and also reduces environmental and health risks associated with sending electrical goods to landfills.

Distributors of new Electric and Electronic Equipment (EEE) have a part to play in reducing the amount of WEEE going into landfill sites.

Thomas Tompion are obliged under these regulations to offer our customers free take-back of their WEEE on a like-for-like basis when they buy from us a new Electrical or Electronic product.

For Example, if a customer bought a new WEEE item from us we would accept their old WEEE item and prevent it from going into a landfill site by disposing of it safely. Customers must return their WEEE item to us within 28 days of purchasing their new item.

Under the WEEE Regulations, all new electrical goods should now be marked with the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol shown below.

 

 

Goods marked with the above symbol were produced after the 13th August 2005, and should be disposed of separately from normal household waste so they can be recycled.

Environment Agency Producer registration number: 139850