How you should dispose of electrical and electronic WEEE waste

Advertisement feature: Electronic waste contains hazardous and toxic substances that can pose a truly severe threat to human health, and also the environment. Therefore, adequate and proper disposal of your electronic waste is essential to minimise the risks associated with it.
Contact a specialist or use a recycling centre for the safe collection of electrical and electronic WEEE wasteContact a specialist or use a recycling centre for the safe collection of electrical and electronic WEEE waste
Contact a specialist or use a recycling centre for the safe collection of electrical and electronic WEEE waste

Electronic waste, most commonly known as e-waste, is a rapidly-growing environmental concern. In our modern society, electronic devices such as laptops, phones and tablets, have become an integral part of our lives and are used on a day-to-day basis – but the increasing demand has resulted in a massive amount of e-waste generated annually.

First and foremost, we need to identify what WEEE waste is and how to dispose of it safely and responsibly.

What is WEEE waste?

Waste electrical and electronic equipment, otherwise known as WEEE, refers to electrical devices and equipment that are either faulty, deemed obsolete or just simply no longer of use anymore.

WEEE waste covers a large net of electronic devices, including desktop computers, laptops, televisions, mobile phones, washing machines, other electrical appliances and more. The disposal of WEEE waste requires careful consideration and education, as it can be extremely hazardous to human health and the environment.

The risks and hazards of WEEE waste

WEEE waste contains hazardous materials which can cause significant harm to humans, animals and the environment. A mixture of dangerous substances can be found within your WEEE waste, such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and certain flame retardants.

When exposed to the environment, for example, settling into soil, or filtering into water streams, this can cause severe pollution damage which can lead to even greater issues. As for humans and animals, exposure to these harmful substances can lead to respiratory issues, skin irritation and other health risks.

The importance of recycling your WEEE waste

Recycling your WEEE waste is dramatically crucial in reducing the environmental impact of electronic waste.

Recycling allows the conservation of natural resources to happen, along with the reduction of pollution within soils and water. Moreover, as your WEEE waste is recycling, the recovery of valuable materials from your electronics can reduce the demand for new, raw materials, thereby ultimately reducing the environmental impact of their extraction.

How to dispose of your WEEE waste

There are many methods to dispose of your WEEE waste – each coming with their own pros and cons. Secure IT, electronic and telecoms asset disposal companies such as Plexstar are specialists in the recycling and disposal of your WEEE waste.

Their goal is to break down the waste into its component parts, enabling them to be reused and therefore conserve natural resources by reducing the environmental impact of electronic waste.

The benefits of recycling WEEE waste

There are a number of benefits to recycling your WEEE waste, including the reduction of the environmental impact electronic waste has, conserving natural resources and the reduction of pollution in the ground and water.

Recycling also helps to create new job opportunities in the recycling industry, thereby contributing to the economic development of the community.

How to recycle your WEEE waste

It’s recommended that you contact an electrical waste recycling specialist to combat the hazards listed above. However, you can recycle your WEEE waste by donating it to a recycling centre or contacting the manufacturer for safe collection. It is essential that you find a company that is certified in its field and follows environmental regulations when recycling your waste.

To summarise

WEEE waste can be extremely harmful to yourself, as well as animals and the environment.

Businesses across the nation can all play their part in disposing of their waste in an efficient manner, ranging across all sectors such as food waste, glass, general, mixed recycling and more.

Companies such as The National Resource Consortium (NRC) present a fresh and revolutionary approach to sustainable national waste management and recycling, so it’s worth doing your research and finding the company for you to solve your business waste management and recycling needs.

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