| By :
Jamie Simpson
As an influx of new electronic products with exciting technologies flood the market, old products (even working products) are being thrown out. This creates unnecessary waste. The European Economic Union created a directive called Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) to deal with the problem of unnecessary electronic waste. This article will discuss the WEEE recycling directive and the many benefits of WEEE recycling. 1. What Is WEEE Recycling? The WEEE recycling directive requires the manufacturers of electronics to fund the collection, recycling, and disposal of electronic products. The directive states that electronic equipment must be recycled separately from other waste utilizing environmental friendly standards. 2. What Products Does WEEE Recycling Cover? The WEEE recycling directive covers most electronics that fall under ten different categories: large household appliances, small household appliances, IT and telecommunications equipment, consumer equipment, lighting equipment, electronic tools, electronic toys, medical equipment, and automatic dispensers. 3. How Is WEEE Recycling Compliance Monitored? Customers are required to obtain and provide proof that an electrical product was returned to a manufacturer or sent to an approved waste management company. 4. How Does The Recovery of Valuable Metals Benefit the Environment? The WEEE recycling directive encourages the recovery of valuable metals which includes iron, steel, copper, and aluminum. Recovering and reusing the metals found in electronics as opposed to extracting raw metals from the earth to create new products make environmental sense. In addition, WEEE recycling encourages managers to consider more sustainable approaches to manufacturing. When electronic items are recovered and sold back to the metal industry this allows manufacturers the opportunity to generate revenue from recycling. 5. How Does Refurbishing and Reusing Electronic Products Benefit the Environment? Refurbishing and reusing products benefits many families who are able to save money by purchasing used electronics. In addition, when manufacturers refurbish items it extends the products shelf life and prevents unnecessary waste. 6. How Does Reducing Land Fill Waste Benefit the Environment? Electronics contain a variety of materials that include mercury, nickel, lead, and cadmium. If electronics are not properly disposed of or recycled these products can pose risks to the environment and human health. In fact, even if these products are burned in incinerators and disposed of in landfills they still provide environmental risks. The WEEE recycling directive reduces the environmental risks associated with excess waste of electronic products by encouraging the reuse and proper recycling of electronic products. In conclusion, WEEE recycling reduces the amount of waste entering landfills, prevents the discharge of hazardous materials into the environment, conserves the earth's limited resources by reducing raw material extraction, and encourages sustainable approaches to manufacturing. In addition, the recovery of valuable metals has also lead to an increase in the number of metals being recycled rather than thrown into a land fill.
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