WEEE: the facts

Posted on 8 Aug 2007 at 11:01

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As abandoned electrical items mount up in the UK, Lynley Oram asks if the EU's WEEE Directive can tackle the problem - and how it will affect you.

You may never have heard of WEEE before, but it affects every one of us, and we are now being asked to do something about it - thanks to new regulations imposed by the European Union (EU). It is one initiative even the eurosceptics should agree with. The EU has reacted with a timely solution to a growing problem that will have serious environmental consequences if left unchecked. It plans to get electrical waste recycled instead of thrown away. That's the theory, at least. But in practice, things aren't quite so straightforward.

Here, we consider the real implications of the WEEE Directive, in order to help you understand what will happen to discarded electrical equipment in future, and who is likely to foot the bill.

Here WEEE go

Two million tonnes of electrical waste is thrown away in the UK every year, according to the Environment Agency (EA). That's a lot of computers, TVs, fridges and mobile phones heading for local landfills. All these items contain toxic chemicals. Old computer equipment leaches poisonous materials such as lead, mercury and cadmium into the ground, as well as toxic chemicals such as brominated flame retardants and the hard-to-destroy polychlorinated biphenyls.

The increasingly disposable nature of electronic items is a cause for concern. In July, a directive came into force governing the way we deal with electronic and electrical items. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive covers any product that uses electricity for its main function. So a gas cooker that uses electricity only for a small clock isn't covered, because its main function is cooking and for that it doesn't use electricity.

Products covered by the directive must carry a WEEE symbol. This symbol is a drawing of a wheelie-bin covered over by a cross, shown in the image opposite.You'll also find it on the packaging, instructions or warranty for all new electrical and electronic equipment. It may also be on a few products you've already owned for some time, as some manufacturers started using the symbol early.

The WEEE Directive actually came into force in most other European countries some years ago, yet Britain has been slow to enforce it. Indeed, the EU had to threaten legal action against the UK (and a few other countries such as Malta, France, Greece and Italy) before the government finally swung into action.

Taking responsibility

The WEEE Directive aims for electrical goods to be reused and recycled, as far as possible, rather than dumped. The directive places the responsibility for recycling on the manufacturers of the equipment.

As the consumer, you are not required to do anything. You could dump most electrical products right in your bin - that is, as long as the product isn't hazardous waste. An old CRT monitor, for example, is classed as hazardous waste. You do have a 'duty of care' obligation to make sure it is disposed of appropriately. An LCD monitor is not classed as hazardous waste, as the toxic materials used in these types of displays aren't present in large enough volumes to constitute a hazard. That would change if you dumped large numbers of LCDs, though. However, there's no legal reason why you couldn't throw one or two in your bin.

This would not be responsible behaviour, though, and Brussels is certainly hoping you won't do that. Simply dumping electrical waste makes it more difficult (and expensive) for the council to sort out the recyclables from your rubbish, if they can at all. This is bad news for the environment, as the amount of WEEE an individual generates increases every year. To see how much the average UK citizen gets through in a lifetime, you should read the 'Weight of responsibility' section.