Electrical recycling facts
  • Electrical goods are the fastest growing waste stream in the UK, growing by 5% each year

  • In the UK the amount of electrical waste we create in one year would fill the new Wembley 6 times!

  • Each year in the UK we go through over 1.2 million tonnes of electrical waste. That is the equivalent of 150 thousand double decker buses!

  • 75% of waste electronics end up in landfill sites

  • In the lifetime of 1 UK citizen 3.3 tonnes of waste electronics is created! (weeeman.org)

  • Two million TV sets are discarded every year - most end up in landfill sites (Recycle Now)

  • "Over six million electrical items are thrown away every year in the UK. It is estimated that over half of them are still working or could easily be repaired." (ITDG, 2003)

  • 15 million mobile phones are upgraded in the UK each year, laid from end-to-end they would reach from John O'Groats to Lands End! (www.sciencemuseum.org.uk)
Recycling and WEEE

If you've already clicked on our 'in a nutshell' button, you will know how keen we are on recycling. Whether you think that global warming is a scientific fact or not, it still makes sense for us all to recycle as much as we possibly can. If we don't, then we are (literally) digging a pretty big hole for ourselves! It is also arguably morally correct that the people who generate and distribute new consumer products should share some responsibility for the disposal of the old products that are being replaced. If you want to know just how big the problem is, click here.

From July 2007, the UK's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations oblige all producers of electrical equipment to pay for take-back treatment and recycling of end of life equipment. In addition, all new electrical products must be marked with the 'crossed out wheelie bin' symbol (shown below). The purpose of this symbol is to encourage consumers to separate out WEEE for recycling, so that it is not included with general household waste.

As a distributor of Electrical goods, Creative Audio is obliged to facilitate the take-back of household WEEE from UK consumers. In other words, if we sell you a new CD player, we will help you safely recycle your old one. We have decided to fulfil this obligation by joining the Government approved "Distributor Take-Back scheme" set up by Valpak (view our certificate). By joining the Valpak scheme, Creative Audio is contributing to the establishment of a network of Designated Collection Facilities where consumers can dispose of their WEEE free of charge, for recycling and treatment in an ecologically sound manner. In this way Creative Audio can ensure that WEEE is safely disposed of by customers in a way that maximizes its recycling potential. Because of our membership of the Valpak scheme, we do not accept returns of WEEE to our shop, or make arrangements for its collection from our customers. Instead, we ask that you take your old piece of equipment to a Designated Collection Facility run by Valpak in your area, where it will be processed for free. We are told that there are currently over 1000 Valpak depots operating in the UK - please see www.recycle-more.co.uk to find which one is closest to you, and to view more information on the WEEE scheme in general.

The importance of efficient recycling cannot be overstated. Not only does it save on resources, it also ensures that the hazardous substances contained in many electrical goods are dealt with properly and not allowed to harm the environment or human health.