Recycle Electrical or Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
This page provides all the information you would need regarding recycling electrical or electronic equipment.
European customers outside of the UK, please visit Recycling WEEE Outside Your Country.
How to dispose of Electrical and Electronic Equipment
As a rule, electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) shouldn't be disposed of along with household waste. EEE may contain hazardous substances which, if exposed, could cause a serious detrimental effect on the environment, wildlife, and human health.
For more information on the WEEE Directive, including how Amazon ensures the safe disposal of your electrical and electronic equipment, visit About the WEEE Directive.
Amazon is a registered member of ERP UK Ltd (https://erp-recycling.org/uk/) [ external link] WEEE Producer Compliance Scheme with the following WEEE Producer Registration Number: WEEE/AD1283ST.
In addition to collection, you also play a crucial role in facilitating reuse, recycling, and other forms of recovery of WEEE. Reusing whole appliances or components extends the useful life of products and reduces the need for new manufacturing.
Achieving goals for the reuse, recycling, and recovery of different WEEE categories requires the collective efforts of all relevant parties. Your participation in these initiatives is crucial, as it helps to ensure proper WEEE management throughout its lifecycle. By contributing to the reuse, recycling, and recovery of WEEE, you can make a meaningful impact on sustainable waste management practices.
Products that should not be disposed of along with household waste will be marked with this icon:
If you'd like to dispose of electrical or electronic equipment for recycling, we recommend that you:
- Donate the unwanted item to a charitable organization, if it still works.
- Take part in national recycling campaigns.
Take-Back Service at Delivery for Selected Heavy and Bulky Items
For selected heavy bulky items, you can arrange for your old device to be collected free of charge when the new one is delivered. Here is how:
- Place the item you want in your Shopping Basket and proceed to checkout.
- Select "Desired date delivery" as the shipping method.
- Order the disposal of old devices directly via the desired date calendar.
You can find more information about this service at Recycling Large and Bulky Items.
Options when Take-Back Service At Delivery is Not Available
Collection points
You can take your item to an authorised recycling collection point run by your local authority. For more information about collection points in the UK, visit the website Find a recycling facility (https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-locator) [external link].
Landbell Group
For equipment weighing less than 30kg, you can create and print a prepaid label with the Landbell Group (https://circul8.world/returns/DmNbyDQ3fpsRhV44j7Zw2cCOJNnjIpCz/uk/en) [external link]. Once your item is properly packed (https://www.h2compliance.com/resources/Packaging_Instructions_Printing_Label_Service_EN.pdf) [external link], you can bring it to one of the drop-off points (https://www.ups.com/dropoff?loc=en_GB) [external link] or arrange for a collection.
Temperature exchange equipment cannot be sent for recycling via prepaid shipping label (as described above). Instead, you can drop it off at collection points or request a pick-up. Temperature exchange equipment includes refrigerators, freezers, equipment which automatically delivers cold products, air conditioning equipment, dehumidifying equipment, heat pumps, radiators containing oil and other temperature exchange equipment which use fluids other than water for the temperature exchange.
For equipment weighing more than 30kg or with larger dimensions at 120 x 60 x 60 cm, you can request a free of charge home-pick up with the Landbell Group (https://new.circul8.world/returns/DmNbyDQ3fpsRhV44j7Zw2cCOJNnjIpCz/uk1/en) [external link]. Please provide the order number of the new item you are purchasing at the time of the recycling collection request. Once your request is validated, they will contact you to arrange a suitable time for collection.
Important information on pick-up services performed by the Landbell Group:
- Please note that Landbell Group will send a pick-up confirmation with the reference number via email (within 2 business days). Please note that it may take up to 15 business days to collect the item. In exceptional circumstances (for example, no communication from the end user to schedule collection, increased number of collection requests), the collection time may be longer. Business days do not include weekends and national holidays.
- All pick-up services are done on ground floor level by the 'doorstep' unless the building has a lift.
- Please remember to cancel your pick-up request if it is no longer necessary. Cancellation can be done by contacting carrier directly through the phone number or e-mail address provided in your pick-up confirmation.
- Please do not request Landbell pick up service if you have already scheduled “at the same time of delivery collection”.
Tips for removing personal data from electrical and electronic devices
If you are an owner of a personal electronic device that is covered by the WEEE Directive such as a computer, mobile phone, or camera, you should erase all personal or confidential data before recycling it. You can do this by restoring the device to its factory settings, which is normally done in your device’s settings menu.
Also, you should delete any personal or confidential data on any internal storage device such as a memory or SIM card. Amazon is not liable for any data on your device. Before resetting your device, you should always:
- Back up any sensitive data such as photos, contacts and messages.
- If possible, restore the device to its factory settings.
- Sign out of any accounts you’re signed into such as Cloud storage, social media, and messaging apps.
If you have purchased your product from a Marketplace Seller, please contact that Seller to know more about the solution they have in place for disposing of your old electronic equipment.
Packaging Instructions
Please do not return any damaged or standalone batteries.
Ensure that the device is undamaged or damaged in a way that it has not become hazardous to ship it (especially all equipment containing batteries which are damaged, leaking, defective or subject to recall by the manufacturer is excluded from the program).
Make sure that the device is free from contamination by chemicals, biological agents or other substances that are not integral to the original new equipment.
If your equipment has Lithium cells and batteries installed in the equipment (e.g. mobile phones, headphones) or is packed with the equipment (e.g. laptops, digital cameras), you should have special care, namely:
- The equipment in this case should be packed with strong outer packaging. If using cardboard boxes, they must be strongly constructed, preferably with seams that are stitched or stapled, not merely glued. Use boxes that are at their full strength and that have not been compromised by humidity. Seal your box with duct-tape (preferably reinforced) by applying three strips to both the top and bottom of the box, so that the middle seam and the two edge seams are sealed
- Packages must be marked with "LITHIUM BATTERIES FOR RECYCLING"
- Appropriate measures shall be taken to minimize the damage of the equipment when filling and handling the packaging, e.g. use of rubber mats
- The packaging shall be constructed and closed so as to prevent any loss of contents during carriage
- Each package must be marked with one of the following label depending on whether they are (1) lithium ION or (2) lithium METAL
(1)
(2)
Additional information
Ensuring high collection rates for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is critical for responsible waste management. Establishing dedicated WEEE collection points enables this equipment to be properly channeled into appropriate treatment and recovery processes.
Separate WEEE collection is crucial for diverting the waste from landfill or incineration and by supporting these dedicated collection systems, you can make a significant contribution to improving waste management practices and resource efficiency.
Minimizing the disposal of WEEE as unsorted municipal waste is an important objective. Separate WEEE collection allows it to be sorted, treated, and recovered in an environmentally sound manner, maximizing the recovery of useful materials and components.
Our recycling partners
European Recycling Platform (https://erp-recycling.org/) [external link]
ERP UK Collection Points (https://erp-recycling.org/uk/where-to-recycle/) [external link]
Recycle your electricals (https://www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/) [external link]
Landbell Group (https://landbell.de/en/) [external link]
Recycle-more.co.uk (https://www.recycle-more.co.uk) [external link]
For more information about recycling with Amazon, visit Recycling at Amazon.
