The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is now UK law. The legislation aims to make producers pay for the collection, treatment and recovery of waste electrical equipment. The regulations also mean that suppliers of equipment like high street shops and internet retailers must allow consumers to return their waste equipment free of charge.
The amount of WEEE we throw away is increasing by around 5% each year, making it the fastest growing waste stream in the UK. Recycling reduces the environmental and health risks associated with sending electrical goods to landfill.
We are obliged under these regulations to offer our customers free take-back of their WEEE on a like-for-like basis when they buy a new Electrical or Electronic product from us. Customers must return their like-for-like WEEE item to us within 28 days of purchasing their new item. Under the WEEE Regulations, all new electrical goods should be marked with the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol and be disposed of separately from normal household waste.
Relevant legislation
- Environmental Protection Act 1990 [EPA]
- Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 [HASAWA]
- Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control Act 1999 [IPPC]
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Heath [COSHH]
- Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment Directive [WEEE]
There are further obligations under Duty of Care legislation.
All types of fluorescent and discharge lamps are now classified as 'Hazardous Waste' in line with the new WEEE Directive.
In order to comply with this legislation, businesses must manage the disposal / recycling of their hazardous lamps in a responsible manner to satisfy the statutory responsibility for the health and safety of employees at work and the impact upon the environment of the business. This includes a duty of care for users of lamps and tubes to take all reasonable steps to look after this waste and prevent its illegal disposal.
Most fluorescent lamps contain potentially harmful substances - especially mercury, lead and cadmium, which can be absorbed through inhalation or skin contact. Other lamps contain sodium which reacts with water (which may be present in the air) to produce potentially explosive or flammable gases.
As well as the injury hazard of glass from broken tubes, the contents - in the form of dust and chemicals - must also be treated as a potential hazard.
Please contact us at lampdisposals@thelightbulb.co.uk for more details of our lamp disposal service.
Alternatively, you can download our lamp disposal brochure here