A critical review of the UK household WEEE collection network

Waste electrical and electronic equipment is one of the fastest growing UK waste streams. The UK waste electrical and electronic equipment regulations prioritise waste prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery to minimise disposal of electronic products in landfill. This paper evaluates and discusses the UK collection network for household waste electrical and electronic equipment by analysing the operations of key stakeholders. The paper discusses the amount of wastes collected, how it is handled and processed. In UK urban areas, there are adequate facilities for the collection of unwanted appliances. In 2009, the UK surpassed collection targets for electrical and electronic wastes; by weight, the bulk of these were large household appliances, cooling appliances and display equipment. The majority of the collected waste was recycled with minor fractions reused. The core logistical problem facing the network is insufficient storage space for collecting unwanted appliances. The paper makes recommendations for consideration by policy- and strategy-makers in their appraisal of the collection network.