In a series of short blogs from Secure Data Recycling we wanted to highlight some of the materials that are contained within electrical and electronic items that are hazardous and dangerous!

Hazardous Fluids – these are typically found in heating and cooling appliances, such as fridges and freezers (coolant circuit) and oil-filled radiators. The WEEE Directive requires the removal of all fluids from WEEE. Fluids must be safely removed prior to crushing or shredding operations. Cooling appliances containing refrigerants (fridges and freezers) – most refrigerators reaching the waste stream are between 10 and 15 years old and are therefore likely to contain Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) (e.g. CFCs and HCFCs). Units manufactured after 1994 are unlikely to contain CFCs.

As with all this series of blogs, the text in italic is taken from the WEEE Directive itself.

What the above tells us is that it is a specialist job to dispose of old heaters and refrigerators, when it comes to organising the WEEE program within your organisation, every piece of electrical and electronic equipment must be considered not just the Computers.

For help and advice contact the experts at Secure Data Recycling