Batteries and electrical items

Waste electrical and electronics equipment (WEEE)

Guidance on recycling and disposing of electronics and electrical items safely.

Anything that needs batteries or a plug to operate is classed as electrical or electronic.

Waste electrical and electronics equipment - WEEE symbolThe symbol used to represent waste electrical and electronic equipment is a crossed out wheeled bin with or without a single black line underneath the symbol. Items which have this symbol must be separated from general waste and made available for recycling or reuse.

Keeping Waste electrical and electronics equipment (WEEE) items out of landfill

WEEE items should not go in your grey, red or green bins.

If WEEE items end up in landfill, lead and other toxins contained in them can cause soil and water pollution, which can have a harmful effect on our health and environment. 

Advice for disposing of electrical and electronics equipment

Instead of throwing electrical or electronics equipment in the bin, you should consider:

  • reduce
    • buy new electrical and electronic products that have a long life span.
  • reuse
    • most electrical equipment can be reused or broken down into parts
    • give items in good condition away, sell them, or donate them to charity
  • recycle
    • upon your purchase of new electrical and electronic items, ask if the retailer will safely recycle or dispose of them after use. Or ask about your old item if this is a purchase to replace an old item
    • Small electrical items can be taken to one of the eight recycle bring banks, or you can take small and large appliances to the Chalvey Household Waste Recycling Centre. If the appliance is too big for you to transport, you may be able to arrange for a bulky item collection.