Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
What is WEEE?
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is any electrical or electronic product that has reached the end of its useful life. In the UK, electrical and electronic equipment is regulated under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (as amended), which aim to reduce the amount of electrical waste sent to landfill and encourage the reuse, recycling and recovery of valuable materials.
These regulations place responsibilities on producers, distributors and retailers to help ensure that waste electrical equipment is collected and treated responsibly, thereby reducing environmental impact and conserving natural resources.
Recycling Your Old Electrical Equipment
Electrical and electronic equipment should never be disposed of with general household waste. Instead, it should be taken to an appropriate recycling facility where it can be safely treated and recovered.
Products marked with the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol should be collected separately for recycling. This helps recover valuable materials while preventing potentially hazardous substances from entering the environment.
Many local authorities operate Designated Collection Facilities (DCFs) where household WEEE can be recycled free of charge. Alternatively, Gaugemaster offers a like-for-like takeback service for eligible products, as detailed below.
If your product contains removable batteries, please refer to the Battery Recycling section below for guidance on how to recycle them.
The Crossed-Out Wheeled Bin Symbol
The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol appears on electrical and electronic equipment to indicate that it should not be disposed of with normal household waste.
Instead, these products should be recycled through an appropriate WEEE collection point where they can be safely treated, reused where appropriate, and recycled to recover valuable materials.
By recycling your unwanted electrical products responsibly, you help reduce environmental impact while ensuring valuable resources remain in use.
Gaugemaster WEEE Takeback Service
Gaugemaster does not participate in the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS). Instead, we operate our own like-for-like WEEE takeback service in accordance with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations.
If you purchase a new electrical or electronic item from Gaugemaster, you may return an equivalent item that has reached the end of its useful life for responsible recycling.
To use our takeback service, please return the old electrical item to:
Gaugemaster Controls
Gaugemaster House
Ford Road
Arundel
West Sussex
BN18 0BN
Please include a copy of your proof of purchase for the replacement item to help us process your return.
Customers returning WEEE by post are responsible for the cost of returning the item unless otherwise agreed.
Alternatively, waste electrical equipment can be taken free of charge to your local Designated Collection Facility (DCF) operated by your local authority.
All returned WEEE is handled through authorised recycling channels to maximise reuse and material recovery wherever possible.
Why Recycle WEEE?
Recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment provides a number of environmental benefits, including:
- Recovering valuable materials that can be reused in new products.
- Preventing hazardous substances from entering landfill and the wider environment.
- Reducing the demand for raw materials and conserving natural resources.
- Supporting a more sustainable and circular economy.
Every electrical product recycled correctly helps reduce waste and contributes towards protecting the environment for future generations.
Battery Recycling
Many electrical and electronic products contain portable batteries that should be recycled separately from the product wherever it is safe and practical to remove them.
Batteries contain materials that can be recovered and reused, but they may also contain substances that could harm the environment if disposed of with general household waste.
Where possible, please remove any replaceable batteries before returning an item for WEEE recycling and recycle them using a suitable battery collection point. Battery recycling facilities are widely available at supermarkets, local authority recycling centres and many retailers throughout the UK.
If the batteries cannot be removed safely or are permanently built into the product, the complete item should be recycled through an appropriate WEEE collection facility or returned through our WEEE takeback service, where the batteries will be handled as part of the authorised recycling process.
By recycling both electrical equipment and batteries responsibly, you are helping to conserve valuable natural resources, reduce waste sent to landfill and protect the environment.
Producer Compliance
As a producer of electrical and electronic equipment, Gaugemaster fulfils its obligations under the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations through membership of an approved Producer Compliance Scheme (PCS).
Our Producer Compliance Scheme is administered by Valpak, which ensures that WEEE arising from products we place on the UK market is collected, treated and recycled in accordance with current legislation.
Please note that our membership of a Producer Compliance Scheme is separate from the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS). As outlined above, Gaugemaster operates its own retailer takeback service rather than participating in the DTS.
Further Information
If you would like more information about recycling electrical and electronic equipment or to find your nearest Designated Collection Facility (DCF), please contact your local authority or visit the UK Government's guidance on WEEE recycling.
If you have any questions regarding Gaugemaster's WEEE takeback service, please contact our Customer Services team, who will be happy to assist.