WEEE stands for 'Waste Electrical & Environmental Equipment'. Generally, it refers to battery-powered or plug-in electrical items. WEEE recycling aims to reduce the amount of harmful waste which enters landfill and affects the environment.
Believe it or not, around two million tonnes of electrical waste equipment is thrown away each year from both homes and businesses. Yet, a large amount of this can be recycled. There are many different items which are suitable for recycling, making up 14 different WEEE categories. However, the most common tend to be large and small domestic appliances, IT and consumer equipment.
Why is Domestic WEEE Recycling Important?
Perhaps the most significant benefit of domestic WEEE recycling is that it's good for the environment.
Electrical equipment/ IT equipment contains chemicals which harm the environment. Electronics dumped into landfill eventually break down, producing toxins which enter the ground. They get into the water supply and food chain, causing untold damage to both humans and animals. Therefore, by recycling equipment, this contamination can be avoided.
The production of raw materials for electronics is often an energy-intensive process. Greenhouse emissions are produced as a result. Recycling is different as it requires less energy. In other words, recycle your old domestic electronics, and you're helping reduce greenhouse emissions as well.
Another good reason to recycle your old electrical equipment is that often, these items contain precious metals. Including gold, silver, palladium, copper, lead and zinc which can be recovered and re-used. These metals don't decompose in a landfill, contributing to even more waste.
It also helps keep your personal data secure, if you're disposing of an old phone or PC. Simply throwing your old device on the scrap heap leaves it prone to theft, and criminals may be able to recover your sensitive data. Proper recycling helps prevent this from happening.
Choosing to recycle your old electrical equipment is usually cheaper than taking it to the tip. There's no need to sort, pack and deliver the waste to a disposal site. Instead, it is collected from you, making it more convenient to get rid of and leaving you to get on with your day.
Finally, a minor but still relevant benefit of WEEE recycling is its ability to create new job roles. As recycling requires human resources to operate, it provides job opportunities for those wanting to work in the 'green' industry.
Why Choose Envirocraft for Domestic WEEE Recycling?
Surplus electronics can use much valuable space in your home. Yet, the process of having to dispose of it yourself can be a hassle, not to mention time-consuming. But it doesn't have to be! Leave the hard work to Envirocraft to collect, transport and dispose of your WEEE waste, without costing a fortune. It doesn't matter where you are based. We have multiple hubs across the country and a fully flexible transport fleet. For you this means we can be there quickly, giving you back the much-needed space that your waste has been using.
