Helping to recycle your electrical equipment

 As a responsible retailer we take the new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulation 2006 Act very seriously. This in effect is a mandatory requirement for all retailers of electrical and electronic equipment and we are happy to comply with the new legislation.

In summary it means that when you buy this type of equipment you can be safe in the knowledge that we have complied with current legislation as regards it disposal at end of life.

 WEEE Statement

 Please help us to minimise the effect we have on the environment by recycling your waste electrical goods. For advice on all aspects of recycling, including recycling of waste electronic equipment, please visit www.recyclemore.co.uk where you can find out the locations of collection points near to you.

Much of the UK's electronic waste ends up in landfill sites, where toxins put communities at risk. Please recycle your equipment as failure to segregate any type of recyclable material in the home will usually result in items being disposed of in a landfill site (buried in the ground in the UK) or being incinerated.

To find out more about recycling electrical waste, please visit www.recycle-more.co.uk.

With effect from July 2007, the UK's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations require that all producers of electrical equipment are now obliged to pay for these items to be recycled when they become waste. These regulations also require that all retailers both actively assist in delivering a UK wide WEEE collection infrastructure and encourage the participation of consumers in recycling electronic equipment.

So that you can get your waste electrical goods recycled, we have contributed towards a national fund to assist local councils to further develop their existing waste electronics collection facilities, which will in turn allow producers of this equipment to meet their obligations. To remind consumers to recycle, all electrical items sold now carry the 'crossed out wheeled bin' symbol.Not all council sites are suitable to collect all types of waste electrical goods but to find out your nearest participating site (including other collection facilities that may not be operated by the council) and for advice on all aspects of recycling at home, please visit www.recycle-more.co.uk

Electronic waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams and much of it can be recycled and resources recovered to make new consumer goods. To ensure your waste electronics don't contribute to damaging the environment, please use www.recyclemore.co.uk and recycle today.

In order to partially meet our obligations as a distributor as defined in the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations (SI 2006 No. 3289 - 11December 2006), we have opted to become a full member of the Distributor Take back Scheme (DTS) as defined in regulation 35 of the WEEE Regulations.

As a member of the DTS, we have made a financial contribution toward the development of the network of Designated Collection Facilities (DCFs) for WEEE instead of collecting waste items from you. The DTS scheme we have joined is operated by Valpak and information about our contribution can be found at info@valpak.co.uk or call 08450 682 572.

This financial contribution is described in paragraphs 83 to 88 of the UK WEEE guidance, and has been used to improve the WEEE collection facilities located at Local Authority Civic Amenity sites. To locate your local WEEE collection site, please visit www.recycle-more.co.uk or contact our customer services department.

Why are we involved?

Recycling facilities are now available for all customers at which you can deposit your old electrical products. This is a requirement under UK and European legislation (The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment – or WEEE – Directive). The aim of the legislation is to;

1) Make good use of the materials that make up old electrical equipment by recycling rather than disposing in landfill.

2) Prevent the negative environmental effects of sending often hazardous electrical equipment to landfill.

 As a conscientious business, Firstcall Photographic Limited has chosen to group together with other retailers in joining the 'Distributor Take Back Scheme'. Through this scheme, we have paid toward the provision of improved of recycling facilities for our customers.

How does this work in practice?

Customers will be able to take any old electrical equipment to participating civic amenity sites (often known as 'household waste recycling centres') run by their local councils. Please remember that this equipment will be further handled during the recycling
process, so please be considerate when depositing your equipment. Funding collected through the Distributor Take Back Scheme has been distributed between all Local Authorities in the UK to ensure the provision of improved recycling facilities. Producers of these products will then ensure that deposited items are taken away and recycled.

Where to dispose of electrical equipment?

Wherever practical, old electrical waste should not be disposed of with your household waste. You can locate your closest participating collection site at www.recycle-more.co.uk (please remember to have your postcode to hand). 

Other information

UK households dispose of over 1.2 million tonnes of electrical and electronic waste every year. This is the equivalent of 150,000 double-decker buses and would be enough to fill the new Wembley Stadium 6 times over. Much of the UK's electronic waste ends up in landfill sites, where toxins put communities at risk. Failure to segregate any type of recyclable material in the home will usually result in items being disposed of in a landfill site (buried in the ground in the UK) or being incinerated. To remind you to recycle, all new electrical products are marked with a crossed out wheeled bin symbol.

 For more information on recycling in your area click here