Reuse of EEE/WEEE in UK: Review on functionality of EEE/WEEE at the point of disposal

The rapid growth in the electronics sector and use of technology in general has inevitably resulted in the generation of vast amounts of waste in the form of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE). These wastes are often highly complex, integrated and toxic and consist of valuable substances such as gold and copper. Driven by legislation and economics the Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling industry has improved its recycling rates, reduced the environmental impact of WEEE and increased efficiency in the recycling loop. However, a much more cost effective approach is to re-use WEEE or its sub-assembly components. The problem, dealt with in this paper, is that very little is known or understood about why consumers discard WEEE and its functionality at the point of disposal. Furthermore, if the proportion of re-use is to increase there has to be technical data about failure modes of equipment. This paper will review the functionality of the white household goods at the disposal point and its impact on the reuse rate as well as providing technical data on the failure modes of 100 microwave ovens.