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WEEE Regulations

Householders can no longer get rid of unwanted electrical and electronic items from their households in with normal refuse.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (known as WEEE Regs) came in to force in July 2007 and put an obligation on the distributor of new Electrical and Electronic Equipment to dispose of the old waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) so long as the old equipment is equivalent to the new. Therefore, if a householder buys a new fridge he can expect the distributor to dispose of the old one.

However, where a household wishes to get rid of old WEEE without it being replaced, the resident must either:Ask the council to remove it as a bulky item for which there is a charge(see cross reference) or,

• Hand it in to an operative at one of the Community Recycling Facilities (CRC), also known as "the dump", for disposal at no charge. (cross reference to CRC showing location and opening times)

Electrical and electronic equipment includes all equipment dependent on electrical currents or electromagnetic fields and includes all electronic equipment both with a plug for mains connection and items that use batteries. These items include:

• fridges, microwave ovens, electric radiators, fans, and vacuum cleaners;
• irons, toasters, electric knives, electric clocks, and scales;
• desktop and personal computers, calculators, printers, telephones, and mobile phones;
• radios, TV's, video recorders, and electrical musical instruments;
• lights, flourescent lamps, and dimmers;
• electric tools such as drills, electrical welding equipment and spray guns;
• electrical toys, trains, video games, sports equipment and consoles;
• medical devices such as dialysis machines, blood pressure readers and massagers;
• control machines such as smoke detectors, thermostats and weighing machines;
• electrical dispensers such as for drinks or money.

The refuse collection men are under instruction not to take any refuse containing electrical or electronic equipment without prior arrangement.