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The UK’s first recycling website to offer cash for all types
of electrical waste has been launched - and the Woodland Trust
is set to benefit.
As the name suggests, weeebuy.co.uk
has been established in response to the Waste and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE) Directive, aimed at reducing the amount of
electrical equipment being produced. Every year, people in
Britain throw away more than one million tonnes of electrical
waste, much of it ending in landfill and proving hazardous
to the environment.
The site will offer consumers instant valuations on six main
electrical gadgets - including laptops, MP3 players, games
consoles, mobiles, digital cameras and sat-navs. Sellers can
also get valuations for items such as hair straighteners,
power tools and vacuum cleaners.
For every basket recycled, a minimum of 25p will go directly
to the Woodland
Trust to help plant native trees across the UK.
Chris Rogerson, co-founder of weeebuy.co.uk, said
- "The WEEE Directive aims to divert about 20 per cent of
the nation’s electrical waste away from landfill. Previously,
electrical recycling companies would charge to collect and
recycle consumer electrical waste. weeebuy.co.uk will
be the first site to offer cash and free collection for items
in all ten WEEE categories.
"weeebuy.co.uk will help people reduce the amount
of electrical waste potentially ending up in the ground and
we can recycle/reuse a huge proportion of items deemed as
waste, meaning less will need to be
manufactured."
WEEE is the fastest growing waste stream in the EU and can
contain a range of toxic compounds - including lead, cadmium
and mercury. Just one discarded mobile phone has the potential
to pollute up to 600,000 tonnes of water.
Rogerson added - "We hope by offering to reward people for
old electrical items, more people will recycle their goods
rather than taking them to the tip. This really is the future
for electrical waste."
Yasmine Davies at the Woodland Trust, said - "By recycling
with weeebuy.co.uk, you will be directly contributing
to our 'More
Trees, More Good' campaign, which aims to plant 20
million native trees in the UK every year for the next 50
years.
"The UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe with
four per cent native woodland cover - our aim is to double
this figure. Businesses like weeebuy.co.uk make it
easy for everyone to do their part in improving our environment. Every
time any electrical item is recycled, you’ll be making a real
difference."
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