WEEE Compliance

In this modern world where damage to the environment is an issue that affects us all, we all have a moral, ethical and legal responsibility to minimise our harmful impact on the world. This applies to individuals, business and nations alike. In recognition of this the European Union and the member national governments have set legislative targets to reduce our collective impact on the world’s environment. One identified area of concern is the sale of electrical and electronic equipment within the European Union and how retailers and manufacturers address their responsibilities for environmental impact. This resulted in legislative regulations that ensure retailers must support recycling of electrical equipment that they sell, such that in the United Kingdom the retail companies who distribute electrical and electronic goods are required to comply with The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations 2006. These regulations address the requirement under European Union law that each member state minimises the disposal of WEEE to landfill as unsorted municipal waste.

As a business whose customers regularly enjoy the outdoors we must also consider our own moral and ethical stance on how we function operationally whilst supporting environmental responsibility. Given the limited resources available within Graham Tiso Ltd and Alpine Bikes Ltd and in order to partially meet our obligations as a distributor as defined in the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations (SI 2006 No. 3289 – 11 December 2006), we have opted for each company to become a full member of the Distributor Take back Scheme (DTS) as defined in regulation 35 of the WEEE Regulations.

As a member of the DTS, we have made a financial contribution toward the development of the network of Designated Collection Facilities (DCF) for WEEE instead of collecting waste items in-store. This financial contribution is described in paragraphs 83 to 88 of the UK WEEE guidance, and has been used to improve the WEEE collection facilities located at Local Authority Civic Amenity sites. To locate your local WEEE collection site, please visit www.recycle-more.co.uk or contact 08450 682 572.

The company will further develop the WEEE policy and procedures in accordance with legislative changes, as well as ensuring that it meets with the goals set through the development of the Graham Tiso Ltd and Alpine Bikes Ltd environment and ethical policies.

Recycling facilities are now available for all customers at which you can deposit your old electrical products. This is a requirement under UK and European legislation (The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment - or WEEE - Directive). The aim of the legislation is to:

• Make good use of the materials that make up old electrical equipment by recycling rather than disposing in landfill
• Prevent the negative environmental effects of sending often hazardous electrical equipment to landfill
• As a conscientious business, Graham Tiso Ltd and Alpine Bikes Ltd have chosen to group together with other retailers in joining the 'Distributor Take Back Scheme'. Through this scheme, we have contributed toward the provision of improved recycling facilities across the UK for our customers
• The legislation further aims to ensure a framework whereby retailers and manufacturers accept their responsibility and contribute to minimising landfill waste

Customers will be able to take any old electrical equipment to participating civic amenity sites (often known as 'household waste recycling centres') run by their local councils. Please remember that this equipment will be further handled during the recycling process, so please be considerate when depositing your equipment and ensure it is in a clean condition.

Funding collected through the distributor take back scheme has been distributed between all Local Authorities in the UK to ensure the provision of improved recycling facilities. Producers of these products will then ensure that deposited items are taken away and recycled.

As a contributor via the distributor take back scheme this means we are not currently required to offer customers recycling facilities in each store.

Wherever practical for all of us as individuals, old electrical waste should not be disposed of with your household waste. You can locate your closest participating collection site via www.recycle-more.co.uk or by phoning 0845 682 572 (please remember to have your postcode to hand) and talking to customers services.

This information is also available on the company posters, website and leaflets in-store.

UK households dispose of over 1.2 million tonnes of electrical and electronic waste every year. This is the equivalent of 150,000 double decker buses and would be enough to fill the new Wembley Stadium 6 times over. Much of the UK's electronic waste ends up in landfill sites, where toxins put communities at risk. Failure to segregate any type of recyclable material in the home will usually result in items being disposed of in a landfill site (buried in the ground in the UK) or being incinerated. To remind you to recycle, all new electrical products are marked with a crossed out wheelie bin symbol as per below.

This symbol should be found on the packaging of all new electrical and electronic products.