Recycling Overview

The UK is the fastest growing waste stream in the European Union.  It has been estimated that 1.9 million tonnes of e-waste are produced here every year.  These goods typically contain hazardous chemicals such as lead and mercury, and as they decompose they tend to let off toxic gasses.

A typical computer is constructed with many heavy metal and toxic chemicals as the following illustrates;

As a means to try to curb some of this unwanted pollution the EEC issued a directive called the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.  The directive requires for each nation to collect the equivalent of 4kg of "e-waste" collected for every person living in the country.  Laws were brought into force as a means to enforce/encourage improvements in how such waste was disposed of, and procedures were put into place to track down and punish polluters.

At The British Connection we offer a complete service for processing your old computer systems.  Instead of going straight to a landfill site, we will service, repair and re-circulate your equipment.

Waste Processing Hierarchy

The UK government has deemed the following list of preference with regard to waste processing (from most preferred to least preferred);

• Prevention

• Minimisation

• Reuse

• Recycling

• Energy recovery

• Disposal

Reuse of old computer systems is considered the best form of recycling, and is far better for the environment than simply breaking the computers down into their constituent parts.  At TBC Recycling,  most of the computers we recycle are returned to the community as working systems.

Every computer we send for reuse helps the environment by reducing demand for new computers.  Every single computer processed in this way has the following impact on the environment;

• 10 times the weight of the PC in fossil fuels otherwise used in manufacturing it's replacement.

• Each replacement PC would require 1.7 tonnes of raw materials to be mined and processed.

• By saving fossil fuels we also help reduce global carbon emissions.

• Lowing toxic waste emissions (see above for toxic and hazardous materials used in computers)

• Easing pressure on landfill sites (PC manufacture produces a lot of waste)

WEEE Directive

WEEE Regulations came into force on the 2^nd January 2007 and apply to all companies in the European Union.  The directive has been brought into force as an attempt to handle the growing problem of electric waste in landfill sites (it is estimated that in the UK alone and estimated 1.2 million tonnes of electronic waste are produced every year).

The regulations are principally aimed at manufacturers, importers and retailers of electrical goods, but the principle of recycling of electronic waste is beneficial to everyone.  Households and small businesses are discouraged from throwing away electrical items that can be recycled (since August 2005 all electrical goods suitable for recycling have been marked with the crossed out wheelie bin logo).

At TBC Recycling we offer an inexpensive and environmentally friendly solution to modern day e-waste disposal issues.   We are fully WEEE compliant, and can provide full waste disposal certification.  All the equipment we receive will go through a full refurbishment and data cleansing process.  We find homes for all equipment that can be brought back to full health, and ensure that the remainder is disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

 

The British Connection has been approved for paragraph 49 exemption for repair and refurbishment of WEEE waste. 

Waste Carriers License

The environment agency has also awarded us with a waste carriers license under the control of pollution (amendment) act 1989.  Our registration entitles us to transport controlled waste from the point of production to the point of treatment.

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