The EU is worried about the damage caused to the environment when we throw away electrical goods, such as mobile phones. To minimise and control this environmental damage, it has drafted legislation - in the form of the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directives.
The UK Government has scheduled the introduction of legislation to govern the disposal of electrical waste, based on these directives.
Which equipment is covered by WEEE?
The Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment directive will control the disposal of all telecommunications equipment, large and small household appliances, IT equipment, radio and audio equipment and electrical tools.
For detailed information on the timetable for UK legislation and further information about both the WEEE and RoHS directives, visit the DTI site at http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/weee/index.htm, and the Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling at http://www.icer.org.uk.
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