Second anniversary of WEEE

It's now July 2009 and just over two years since the WEEE directive came into effect in the UK.

Personally, I haven't seen very much in the way of publicity to the general public about what they need to do with their old electronic waste, and I'd say that most of my friends wouldn't know what to do with their electronic and electrical waste, which is rather worrying.

With large items such as washing machines and fridges these are more likely to go into the proper channels as they are bulky and require special pick ups or would have to be transported to CA sites. But a friend told me how he had just put his old hi-fi in the bin the other day, and it is this type of smaller electrical and electronic waste item that I fear is still getting into the general waste stream - and an area where we really need to step up our recycling efforts.

Andrea Height, MRW, deputy editor

When it all seems like a lot of effort

It's almost two years since the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive in the UK.

I often think if I wasn't in a job related to the waste and recycling sector I would have no idea that there is EU legislation requiring us to recycle our electrical waste. Of course, because I do know about it, I feel obligated to recycle my toaster that blew up the other week.

I live in a flat in central London, don't have a car and have been given a replacement toaster by my mum who had a spare one. I want to recycle my toaster but the nearest CA site is on the other side of the river and requires some effort to get there.

Of course, I'm willing to put in the effort to take my old toaster to the CA site by public transport but there will be many more people who simply won't go to the trouble. We have to be aware that if we don't make it easier for people to recycle such items they simply won't bother.

Andrea Height, MRW, deputy editor