It’s not a WEEE problem
Residents are being invited to find out more about the benefits of recycling their old toasters and hairdryers rather than just throwing them in the bin.
In Warwickshire only 14 per cent of WEEE items (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) is recycled, the rest heads to landfill.
This means that our old computer monitors, hi-fi systems and kettles are being buried, potentially leading to toxins being released into the ground.
In a bid to try and inform people of the benefits of WEEE recycling, an event is taking place in Warwickshire County Council’s Barrack Street reception area, near the entrance to Warwick Library, providing guidance and information.
The day will run from 9.30am until 4pm on Wednesday, March 3, it will be run by DHL.
DHL is the Producer Compliance Scheme for Warwickshire, which means they collect and recycle electrical waste from the county’s household waste centres.
Cllr Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “DHL are not actually collected items on the day, but providing guidance and hopefully encouraging people to use our household waste recycling centres to dispose of their WEEE items.
“The recycling of WEEE items is crucial, it reduces the need to extract raw materials; uses less energy (for example recycling aluminium uses only five per cent of the energy compared with extracting it from its ore); and saving energy by recycling also saves money.”
For more information on WEEE recycling and Warwickshire Household Waste Recycling Centres visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/waste