Why should I recycle WEEE?
Electrical and electronic items contain a wide range of materials that can be recovered and recycled in the creation of new products. The more we recycle electronic devices, the less we have to rely on creating them from scratch – which not only depletes our natural resources but uses huge amounts of energy and produces greenhouse gases.
Once transported from your recycling centre, waste electricals are shredded at a reprocessing plant. The shredded pieces then pass through magnets, electronic currents and other sortation techniques to separate out the different materials.
The two key materials that come out of your old electronics are metals and plastics.
Metal is a valuable element of electronics and of special interest in the recycling process. It’s easily separated from other materials once shredded and can be recycled over and over again. Different metals have different properties, so can be used to make a huge range of items. If disposed of irresponsibly, plastics can have a catastrophic effect on the natural environment. Separating your old electricals helps to prevent plastic pollution and can give recovered materials a new lease of life.
Watch our video to see why it is important to recycle your old electricals
If your item is still in working order, donating it to a local charity for reuse can be preferable to taking it to a recycling centre. Working electrical items can be resold for extra funding by charities – so you can help support a good cause with your old products!
