Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Many everyday consumer items now contain electronic parts. Every year an estimated 1 million tonnes of waste electronic and electrical equipment are discarded by householders and commercial groups in the UK. Dealing with this waste is becoming an important issue as electronic goods are becoming increasingly short lived, and so ever increasing quantities of obsolete and broken equipment are thrown away. Electronic and electrical equipment makes up on average 4% of European municipal waste, and is growing three times faster than any other municipal waste category.

Electrical waste varies from digital watches to fridges and TVs and the materials they contain also vary. For example an average TV contains 6% metal and 50% glass whereas a cooker is 89% metal and only 6% glass. Other materials include plastics, ceramics and precious metals. The complex array of product types and materials make Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) difficult to manage.

The main component of WEEE is large household appliances known as white goods, which make up 43% of the total. The next largest component is IT equipment which accounts for 39%. Much of this is made up of computers, which rapidly become obsolete. Televisions also represent a large sector with an estimated 2 million TV sets being discarded each year.

Environmental implications

The disposal of electronic appliances in landfill sites or through incineration creates a number of environmental problems. Firstly, considerable amounts of resources are lost. Although the bulk of these would consist of ferrous metal, plastics and glass, the overall range of different substances is great. Cathode ray tubes found in items such as televisions and monitors contain many minerals in addition to glass, including zinc, lead, cadmium and phosphor, while circuit boards contain about 25 distinct substances. The production of these raw materials and the goods made from them entails environmental damage through mining, transport and energy use. The other major problem is the toxic nature of many of the substances, these include arsenic, bromine, cadmium, halogenated flame retardant, HCFCs, lead, mercury and PCBs. Finding suitable landfill sites is also becoming an increasing problem, particularly in the South East, where large quantities of electronic waste will be arising. The EU Landfill Directive also calls for the cessation of co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes by July 2004. Because landfill operators will need to choose what type of waste they will be accepting, landfill sites which accept hazardous waste will become more geographically dispersed and diminish in number, compounding the problem further.

Reuse schemes and extending product life

Even though a piece of equipment has reached the end of its life in one situation, this does not mean that it is no longer useable. About 25% of discarded appliances are intended for reuse, being donated or sold. In addition to traditional second hand outlets, there are a number of schemes looking at ways of passing on electronic equipment no longer required by commercial organisations to other users. By this means, the life of products can be extended, which is environmentally more desirable than recycling them (assuming the product is working efficiently).

Computers. Since 1996 the market for recycled refurbished computers has increased by 500%, but still less than 20% of all redundant computers are recycled in the UK. There are commercial organisations that buy and sell business computer systems, sometimes as complete systems, or for refurbishment, or as spares for maintenance purposes. HP offers a take-back service for any make of computer for companies. The type and cost of the service depends on the quantity, type of products returned and the location from where they are picked up. The cost is covered by the customer.

Each year 100 million computers are sold and over 1 million computers are disposed of in landfill sites.

(Environ 2001)

There are also a number of community computer reuse projects in the UK which facilitate the movement of redundant computers from businesses to the community, by addressing the barriers such as legal liability, data protection, and logistics. Computers are typically donated to schools, charities and households or for export to developing countries. If your computer is not of a standard accepted for reuse, refurbishers may take them to reuse parts. Department of Environment & Trade (DTI) provide a directory of refurbishers.

Upgrading a particular appliance can also extend the life span of electronic equipment, if the design allows. It is quite standard practice to fit larger hard disks or additional memory to computers. Equally, incorporating a CD drive can extend the life of modular hi-fi systems. Computer manufacturers are now designing products that can be easily upgraded, enabling many of the original parts to be retained virtually indefinitely, or at least until they are beyond repair.

Furniture. There are over 300 furniture recycling projects across the UK. Furniture projects often need working cookers and fridges, as well as other household items such as hoovers, to pass on to low-income families for reuse. SOFA, a furniture and electrical appliance reuse charity based in Bristol, helps over 5,000 low-income households a year.

Recycling / Recovery

Due to the complex nature of WEEE arising and the mixtures of material involved recycling can be difficult. For the large household white goods such as fridges and cookers there is not such a problem but in order to recycle smaller more complicated equipment the development of new infrastructure and technology has become necessary. There are four broad methods employed by industry to recycle:

Equipment dismantling, the manual separation of reusable and recyclable components.

Mechanical recycling, the removal of hazardous components followed by granulating and shredding in order to remove the recyclable raw materials such as plastic and ferrous metal.

Incineration and refining, metal can be recovered after the more combustible material has been incinerated.

Chemical recycling, precious metals such as gold and silver can be removed from printed circuit boards and components via chemical processes.

The current tonnages of WEEE collected and recycled in the UK

Type	Arisings	Collected	*% Recycled*
IT	357,000	94,600	26
Telecom	8,000	4,000	50
Video / Sound	72,000	3,200	4
Large Household Appliances	392,000	345,300	88

Source: ICER 2000

The UK's first commercial site dedicated to dismantling and recycling WEEE opened in August 2001 in Dursley, Gloucestershire. The site aims to initially process between 5,000 to 10,000 tonnes of WEEE a year. The site will take WEEE collected by local SITA operators, civic community sites and larger producers and users of WEEE. The site will take computers, brown goods and household appliances, not white goods such as fridges, until an organised collection method has been established.

Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) are usually shredded and dumped in landfill sites. It is estimated that 100,000 tonnes of CRT are disposed of a year in the UK. CRTs can be recycled at Bruce Metals in Sheffield. The monitors and TVs are shredded, and the metal recycled. Hazardous materials are then removed before the remaining plastic and glass is landfilled. ICER also has a project aiming to turn the leaded glass found in CRTs into sodium silicate and metal alloys, marketable materials.

Mobile phones also need to be disposed of safely. The rechargeable battery and other components such as the LCD display have toxic components. Research suggests that there are over 20 million potentially toxic redundant mobile phones in the UK alone. European Information, Communications and Consumer Electronics Industry Technology Association (EICTA) is continuing the take-back scheme set up by EUTEL, to deal with the problems associated with waste mobile phones. For details on participating outlets contact your network operator. Alternatively you can also donate your phones to charity (see contacts and further information).

Collection of household WEEE

Unfortunately there are virtually no take-back schemes for householders at present. It is thought that retailers are likely to be required to have such schemes in place once the WEEE Directive comes into effect around 2006.

Dixons has identified two routes through which items could be recovered, firstly through ‘in store’ initiatives and secondly through existing waste collection facilities. Dixons offers a takeback service for redundent items when new items are delivered. The redundent items are returned to the distribution centre where they are seperated for refurbishment and recycling. In 1999 they collected over 700,000 redundant appliances this way. In 2000 Dixons, in conjunction with Haringey Council and CREATE formed CREATE Tottenham. CREATE combines WEEE recycling and training for the unemployed. Comet is operating a similer scheme.

If you are a householder your waste collection authority (District, Borough or Unitary Council) is obliged to provide a collection service for bulky items, although they can charge a collection fee. Alternatively, you can take your appliance to your local civic amenity site for disposal free-of-charge. The staff will ensure that your old appliance is disposed of safely.

Legislation

The major new legislation effecting WEEE is the draft EU Directive. This will have a large influence on how this waste stream is managed. This Directive sets out measures that aim, firstly, at the prevention of waste electrical and electronic equipment, secondly at the re-use, recycling and other forms of recovery such as energy from waste, and thirdly at minimising the risks and impacts to the environment associated with the treatment and disposal of WEEE. It requires Member States to recover an equivalent of 4-6kg of WEEE per inhabitant, and to recycle 75% of the weight of these products. Manufacturers are expected to fund a large part of this activity, although there is still debate over who should be responsible for end of life goods where the original manufacturer no longer exists. The proposal is being debated by the European Parliament and Council. The draft has been broken down into two parts:

The WEEE Directive, concerned with end of life electronics,
A Directive on hazardous materials used in WEEE,

A separate proposal for a directive has been put forward by the Enterprise DG. This focuses on requiring eco-design, and life cycle analysis. This is called EEE (Electronic and Electrical Equipment), and will minimise the products' environmental impacts during their life span. The working paper was put forward in February 2001.

The first two parts of the WEEE directive have already been adopted, and should become European law by 2002, to be implemented by member states in 2006.

Key aspects of the directive

Prevention of waste	Minimising the use of dangerous substances including phasing out lead, mercury and others by January 1st 2006. Increase the use of common component and material coding standards Encourage use of recycled plastics
Collection and treatment	Collection targets of 4-6kg per person a year for domestic appliances, and all commercial appliances. Setting up collections for last holders of WEEE Free ‘take back’ of WEEE from private households when buying a new product Removal of all fluids and selective treatment of equipment
Recovery	Set up systems for component, material and substance reuse and recycling of WEEE Specific targets for different categories of WEEE ranging from 75% - 90% recovery
Aiding this process	No charge for last holders EEE marked with a crossed out white bin
Designing for the environment	Minimise product's environmental impacts Increase energy efficiency

Legislation affecting refrigeration unit disposal.

Council Regulation No 2037/2000 on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), which came into effect on 1 October 2000, requires the removal of controlled ODS from refrigeration equipment before such appliances are scrapped. This requirement came into force immediately for industrial and commercial appliances and applied to domestic appliances from 1 January 2002. This applies to ODS in the insulating foam inside the fridge as well as to the refrigerant in cooling system. Your local council is responsible for the safe disposal of refrigeration equipment.

Government, industry and community initiatives

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has included electrical and electronic equipment in their 'Producer Responsibility Initiative' and produced two guides entitled Unwanted Computer Equipment and Unwanted White Goods. The DTI have also asked industry to produce a plan for dealing with this waste. This is being co-ordinated by The Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling (ICER), which was established in 1992. ICER is a cross-industry association with over 50 members from the UK and other European countries. It works to promote responsible management of WEEE at the end of its life, and produces a directory of commercial organisations involved in the recovery of WEEE. ICER is also working with the Government on how best to translate the draft Directive on WEEE into UK law and how the industry can minimise the cost, both to consumers and to industry, whilst producing real environmental benefit.

What you can do

When buying new electronic or electrical items, choose ones which are durable, and which can be upgraded in the future if possible. Consider first if a current item of equipment can be upgraded, rather than being completely replaced.
If an appliance has stopped working, before discarding it, see if it can be repaired.
In some areas there are projects which take household furniture and basic electrical equipment such as cookers and fridges to pass on to low-income households. Contact The Waste Watch Wasteline for details.
Rather than put unusable, small appliances in the bin, take them to your local civic amenity site where they can be added to other scrap for recycling. If you have bulky items to be discarded, contact your council to arrange collection.
If your workplace has electronic equipment which is no longer needed, contact the Waste Watch Wasteline for details of groups redistributing PCs to the not-for-profit sector.
There are a number of dealers who are interested in large quantities (pallet loads) of electronic scrap. If you have this kind of waste available, contact Wasteline for further information.

Contacts and further information

ICER (Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling)

6 Bath Place, Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3JE.
Tel: 020 7729 4766, Website: http://www.icer.org.uk/

Working to develop long-term strategies to manage and minimise waste from electronic and electrical equipment. Holds Directory of commercial recyclers, and information on WEEE policy.

The Waste Watch Wasteline

Below are listed some useful contact details. If you need further assistance the Waste Watch Wasteline has further information on WEEE and WEEE recyclers. Contact them on 0870 243 0136.

Computer reuse/refurbishment schemes

Recycle IT

c/o SKF (U.K.) Ltd, Sundon Park Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU3 3BL
Tel: 01582 492 436 E-mail: enquiries@recycle-it.ltd.uk Website: http://www.recycle-it.ltd.uk/

Refurbishes surplus commercial computers and passes them on to charities, voluntary groups and educational organisations.

Recycle-IT

Unit 16 London House, Business Centre, Thames Road, CRAYFORD, Kent DA1 4SL
Tel: 01322 525 577 E-mail: info@recycle-it-online.co.uk Website: http://www.recycle-it-online.cp.uk/

Take computer hardware, printers, monitors, cable, CDs and cartridges. Usable items are redistributed to schools and non-profit community projects. Collects within the South East, particularly within the M25.

R. Frazier Ltd.

Irongray Business Park, Lochside Industrial Estate, Dumfries DG2 0NR
Tel: 01387 723 040, E-mail: klivingston@frazierint.com

Recovers and refurbishes computer systems for reuse and recycling, with a recovery rate of more than 90%.

The Second Byte Project

Neill King Partnership, 25 Garrard Close, Salford Priors, Eversham, Worcestershire, WR11 5XG
Tel: 01789 778 462 E-mail: mailto:seconbyte@neill-king.co.uk Website: http://www.secondbyte.org.uk/

Accepts whole or part computer systems and peripherals, and also software and manuals. The website has notice boards for donors and recipients of equipment.

Tools for Schools

12-14 Berry Street, London EC1V 0AQ,
Tel: 020 7689 1990 Fax: 020 7689 1991 E-mail: computers@tfs.org.uk Website: http://www.tfs.org.uk/

Refurbishes surplus commercial computers and gives them a new lease of life in schools. (Min. 20 complete machines, Pentium 166 only).

Free Computers for Education

The Niven Suite, The Maision, Ottershaw Park, Surrey KT16 0QG
Tel: 0800 052 6179 E-mail: info@free-computers.org Website: http://www.free-computers.org/

Refurbishes surplus computers and gives them a new lease of life in schools. 386+, Working equipment only. Free collection throughout the UK.

Computer Aid International

Unit 114, Belgravia Workshop, 159 Marlborough Road, London N19 4NF
Tel: 020 7281 0091 E-mail: info@computeraid.org Website: http://www.computer-aid.org/

Takes computers, Pentium or above. Collect within the M25.

Independent living in Lambeth

11 Heather Close, LONDON SW8 3BS
Tel: 020 7720 4150 E-mail: davidjhart643@netscapeonline.co.uk

Take any computer or parts within London.

Techwaste

Tel: 01937 849 777 E-mail: mailto:enquiries@techweb.co.uk Website: http://www.techwaste.com/

Recycle technology equipment including mainframes, printers, PCs and fax machines.

Mobile phone reuse/collection

EMC

Unit 3 Glenfyl Way, Hawkins Lane Industrial Estate, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE14 1LX
Tel: 01283 516 259, E-mail: info@emc-recycle.com, Website: http://www.emc-recycle.com/

Mobile phone reuse/recycling group for companies.

Oxfam

Oxfam Bring Scheme
Website: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/mobile

If you have less than ten phones then send them to: FREEPOST LON16281, London, W5 5BR

For over 10 phones call 0870 752 0999 to arrange a courier.

CRUMP (Campaign To Recycle Unwanted Mobile Phones)

Child Advocacy International, 79 Springfields Road, Trent Vale, Stoke on Trent ST4 6RY
Website: http://www.childadvocacyinternational.co.uk/

If you have more than ten phones call 0800 083 2103 to arrange a courier to collect them, otherwise send them to FREE POST, CRUMP.

Recycling Appeal.

Recycling Appeal, 65 Bute Street, Falkirk, FK2 7DH.
Tel : 0845 130 20140 Fax : 0845 130 0303 E-mail: susanh@esel.co.uk

Recycle unwanted mobile phones and printer cartridges for charitable cause.

http://www.mobilephones4charity.com/

Mobile phone reuse/recycling group which raises funds for selected charities of choice. Provides freepost addresses for smaller quantities and will collect larger quantities (over 50)