Whether you are moving offices or finally getting rid of those fax machines you no longer need, it’s a legal requirement that you dispose of your office items responsibly.
This is because of the potential hazards involved in materials in their manufacture process. Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013 extend to everything with a plug or that need a battery – including those fax machines. Your business can be fined if you don’t follow these regulations.
Categories and items
Broadly speaking, there are ten categories of WEEE which sit within the regulations. These are:
- Large household appliances – such as dishwashers, fridges, cookers, microwaves and washing machines
- Small household appliances – including toasters, vacuum cleaners, clocks and irons
- IT and telecommunications equipment – PCs, photocopiers, calculators and phones
- Entertainment/consumer equipment – TVs, radios, hi-fi equipment, musical instruments and camcorders
- Lighting equipment – fluorescent tubes and high intensity lamps
- Electrical and electronic tools – drills, saws, lawnmowers and sewing machines
- Toys, sports and leisure equipment – games consoles, running machines and electric trains
- Medical devices – when not infected, like dialysis machines, medical freezers, analysers and cardiology equipment
- Monitoring and control equipment – smoke alarms and other detectors, thermostats and heating regulators
- Automatic dispensers – vending machines, hot drink and money dispensers
- And anything with an LED light
You could get help to fund recycling
If you are in the UK and replacing your computers or laptop, the retailer you are buying from has a legal requirement to assist you in disposing of your old items. You should either be able to do a straight swap with the store, or arrange a drop off service.
Should the retailer doesn’t offer these options, they are obligated to contribute towards the cost of you disposing of the PCs and laptops you’re replacing.
If you are buying a new monitor from Dell, they will take your old monitor away and dispose of it, even if it’s from another brand – so if you haven’t purchased your new monitors just yet, it might be worth having a chat to Dell first.
Could another charity or organisation benefit from your equipment?
Of course, before you go through the full on disposal route, if your items are in working order you could approach local charities to see if they need anything. If you would like to speed up the process/cut out the middle person, you could list your items on Freecycle or ComputerAid. A full list of recycling schemes in your area is available at Recycle Now.
Ensure your compliance
If you would like to discuss compliance to WEEE regulations or any other aspect of waste disposal, we would be happy to help. Please get in touch with us to find out more.