The WEEE Directive aims to minimise the impact of electrical and electronic goods on the environment, by increasing re-use and recycling and reducing the amount of WEEE going to landfill.
It seeks to achieve this by making producers responsible for financing the collection, treatment, and recovery of waste electrical equipment, and by obliging distributors to allow consumers to return their waste equipment free of charge.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was agreed on 13 February 2003, and entered into force on 2 January 2007.
When my iron broke the other day, I went back to my local ASDA store to return it. They were surprised and did not know anything about the directive. They investigated it and confirmed that I was entitled to return it, they needed a little time (a week or so) to set up the process in store but after that I could come and hand in my trusty old iron. Shows that if you perservere you might get a surprising result. K