From August 1 2015, the £48 charge per collection will apply to all business collections to “ensure the service remains sustainable”, the firm said.
The fee will cover administration costs, including those of producing waste transfer notes for hazardous materials, but the recycling of collected material will continue to be free.
Launched in December 2011 as a partnership between DHL Envirosolutions and SWEEEP Kuusakoski, the ‘123 Recycle for Free’ service offers businesses and organisations of all sizes free collections of unwanted electrical items for recycling.
The service also provides North London Waste Authority residents with household WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) collections, but no administration fee will apply to the residential service, DHL said.
DHL’s business director of Envirosolutions, Simon Potter, said: “When businesses dispose of waste they face a number of challenges including complying with the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) regulations. These include storing waste correctly, using a registered carrier and keeping a transfer note when waste leaves the business.
“Since its launch four years ago, 123 Recycle for Free partnership has proved extremely popular but soaring admin costs mean that in future we will be obliged to make a nominal charge to ensure the scheme remains viable.”
DHL Envirosolutions is also supporting letsrecycle.com’s ‘Summer Recycling Selfie’ competition, through which an Apple iPad is up for grabs. Readers are invited to send in up to three pictures of you or a family member with recycling or waste bins and vehicles by the August 31 deadline, after which a winner will be chosen. For more information on entering, click here.
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