New e-waste recycling laws begin

A much-delayed law that makes British producers and importers of electronic goods responsible for the recycling of their products has come into force. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive requires 4kg of "e-waste" to be recycled per person.

E-waste, which includes PCs, games consoles, microwaves and washing machines, is the fastest-growing form of rubbish in the European Union. The UK produces an estimated 1.2m tonnes of e-waste each year, most of which has been ending up in landfill sites.

Under the legislation, retailers selling electrical goods are obliged to offer customers a free in-store take-back service on a "like for like" basis, or help fund the expansion of a network of WEEE collection points.

View Full Article 1^st July 2007

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