#WEEE4Future

WEEE is one of the fastest-growing waste streams with 53.6 million tonnes generated in 2019 at global level. Discarding our old electricals, instead of recycling or reusing them creates e-waste – and that poses a major threat to the environment and to human health: the production of new electronics needs raw materials, digging them out of the ground needs considerable energy; if we do not reuse or recycle old electronics, the materials within the appliances go to waste. WEEE is composed of a lot of different materials and components that because of their hazardous content, and if not properly managed, can cause major environmental and health problems; we could save CO2 emissions by recycling old appliances.

There are loads of things you can do! You can get informed, share the information, hunt for electronics in your home and bring them to a collection point to ensure that they will be properly recycled. Alternatively, if they are still in use, why don’t you donate them to a friend or a family member?

By recycling your electronics, you can bring a cleaner environment, a more circular economy, an economical boost (more jobs, and utilizing the value of the materials in old appliances). The recycling of old electronics is also good for the planet! The recycling of iron, aluminum, and copper can contribute to savings in CO2 emissions.

First, ask yourself if the appliance can be repaired or reused. If yes donate it to a friend/charity shop or try and get it repaired. What you need to do before recycling: ensure to remove any batteries or bulbs (those go into different collection categories). For smartphones/laptops or any other device that may contain personal information, do not forget to wipe your data (after backing it up of course, and disconnecting it from any online accounts). Then simply bring it to the collection point that you found using the map! Please also note that if the collection point is a retail outlet, they will likely only accept small devices (phones, laptops etc.).