Electronic appliances update
7th November 2008
It was about this time last year that I covered the introduction of the government’s Waste Electronics and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) directive in an attempt to better regulate the disposal of electronic equipment in the UK. This directive has been a very wise move towards protecting the environment from our changing consumer lifestyles. We have noticed a real difference at Action 21’s Recycle Warehouse in Leamington Spa which deals with a range of domestic electronics everyday sometimes encountering some of the more unusual gadgets!
Most electrical equipment we buy contains hundreds of different materials many of which can be stripped down and reused in new products. Some of these materials are highly dangerous to the environment if not disposed of correctly and this is where the WEEE directive does its job. The Recycle Warehouse on Princes Drive is also doing a good job at saving electrical equipment being thrown away in the first place. A team of trained volunteers check donated electronics for functionality and electrical safety. Appliances that pass the tests are sold at extremely low prices, so there is always a bargain to be had.
Old domestic white goods such as fridges and washing machines are not accepted but the team of volunteers have kept busy with the ever increasing amounts of small items such as CD players, TVs and irons. This all may sound fairly regular and run of the mill, but the volunteers occasionally encounter more bizarre electronic items. One Recycle Warehouse volunteer has recounted to a particular item that was donated sometime ago. Once unwound it was decided that the item was a 1970s wireless ladies hair cap complete with dryer. Basically a lady with wet hair would be able to don the contraption and still be free to go about her business while her hair dried. I wonder why this never caught on.
On a more serious note the work that is done at the Recycle Warehouse to reuse old electronic appliances that still work is a really useful diversion from having it dumped in landfill sites. However the increasing quantity of extremely cheap electronics available on the market may simply cancel out all of this effort. We certainly don’t want to go down the path where electronics become so cheap that they have very little value and are discarded as soon as a newer version is available. The lack of apparent use on some of the electronic items donated to the Recycle Warehouse seems to support this sad truth. It is important that we carefully consider the necessity behind our purchases, not just in electronics but for all the things we buy. Remember if you are on the lookout for a piece of electronic equipment, don't forget that you might be able to get just what you need from the Recycle Warehouse.