Terms & conditions

WEEEPolicy
What does the WEEE symbol (Crossed out Wheelie Bin Symbol) mean ?


All Electronic and Electrical Equipment (EEE) placed onto the market from August 15th 2005 must be marked with this symbol to indicate that it is covered by the WEEE Directive, the provisions of which require that producers or manufacturers of EEE become liable to pay for take-back treatment and recycling of end of life equipment (WEEE):

What are our obligations according to the WEEE Directive?
As a distributor of EE, we must facilitate the take-back of household WEEE from UK consumers and have decided to fulfil our obligations in this area by offering an "In store Take-Back scheme". By offering this scheme we are contributing to the establishment of a network of Designated Collection Facilities where WEEE may be disposed of for recycling and treatment in an ecologically sound manner. The recycling and treatment of WEEE itself is part of the producer's obligation under the WEEE Directive. In plain English, this basically means we can accept a waste item returned from our customers when selling them an equivalent new item. Items may be different products, but must perform the same function. Customers will be allowed at least one month after sale to return their old item.

Are there any other ways of disposing of my old electronic equipment?
If your old piece of electronic equipment is still in a good working condition or could be repaired for further use, please consider donating it to a charitable organisation or by giving it to someone else in need. By extending the lifetime of your old equipment you are also contributing to the efficient use of resources and avoiding additional waste. Please note that from July 1, 2007, it will be possible for you to dispose of your WEEE and ensure that it is recycled. EEE may contain hazardous substances which, if exposed, may have a serious detrimental effect on the environment and human health. That is why all WEEE that you volunteer for recycling will be specifically collected and treated by designated local waste facility centres and by licensed WEEE compliance schemes. By ensuring that you dispose off your old electrical and electronic equipment according to the new WEEE legislation you are helping to preserve our natural resources and protect human health.

What is the WEEE Directive?
The production of electrical and electronic equipment is one of the fastest growing domains of manufacturing in the western world, and with broad consumer take-up of products in this area, there is also a mounting issue of waste. In June 2000, the European Commission put forward proposals to address this issue, and in December 2002 these were passed as the EU Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive. For the UK, the WEEE Regulations were laid before Parliament on December 12, 2006. The main requirements and obligations on producers and distributors of Electronic and Electrical Equipment (EEE) came into effect from July 1, 2007. The major provisions of the WEEE Directive are:

  • All manufacturers (or anyone else selling a product on the market in the EU) are liable to pay for take-back, treatment and recycling of end-of-life equipment.
  • Improve re-use/recycling of WEEE.
  • Ensure the separate collection of WEEE.
  • Inform the public about their role in dealing with WEEE.
Glossary:

  • DCF (Designated Collection Facility): A public amenity site licensed to collect, separate and recycle WEEE for collection by a licensed producer compliance scheme.
  • DTS (Distributor Take-back Scheme): The WEEE compliance scheme for retailers, approved by the Department for Trade and Industry
  • EEE (Electronic and Electrical Equipment)
  • WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment): All end-of-life equipment falling under the WEEE directive (for the specific categories see section 6 above).

If you have any questions regarding the above information or would like to return any WEEE equipment to us when purchasing an equivalent item, please contact us either via e-mail or by telephone.