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Reuse Network publishes WEEE repair and reuse guidance

The Reuse Network has today (12 September) published guidance for the safe repair and reuse of electrical goods.

A Repair Café is a community-based not-for-profit, often with charitable status, offering free repairs of common household items such as toasters, hoovers and bicycles

The guidance, titled ‘Fit for Reuse’, has been set up to help operators meet required standards to run compliantly.

It has been funded by Ecosurety and provides a free resource aimed specifically at technicians and managers of reuse operations.

Including in the guidance is advice on suitable packaging for the prevention of damage to the electrical goods when transported, including using a suitably sized box, sufficient packaging materials and securing the items to the inside of the van.

It also contains details on how to clean specific appliances, such as toasters, TVs and desktop screens.

Partners

Over 30 other partners were involved in drafting the document, including Trading Standards, Electrical Safety First, Currys, Charity Fleetcare, Arena Training and Reuse Network members.

It includes photos, helpful tips, and revamped check sheets and is said to represent a “significant step forward in professionalising the sector, cementing best practices, and placing product safety at the heart of reuse and repair activity”.

Aim

Reuse Network explained that the guidance will aim to help tackle the increasing amount of old or unused electricals being recycled or thrown away and provide more high-quality, safe, repaired electrical goods to those who need them.

‘Fit for Reuse’ is one of eight projects which received support from the Ecosurety Exploration Fund, which has invested £1 million into projects that could reduce the environmental impact of packaging, batteries or EEE through innovation or research in the UK.

Fit for Reuse will alleviate a lot of the frustration and confusion

  • Will Ghali, CEO of Ecosurety

Commenting on the project, Will Ghali, CEO of Ecosurety, said: “Fit for Reuse will alleviate a lot of the frustration and confusion that might exist because of the lack of updated guidance to help reuse operators to run optimally. And it’s an assurance to producers that with the latest guidance now being available, their products can be reused and repaired safely.

“This is a positive step forward to facilitate repair and reuse and an acceleration towards a circular economy for electric and electronic equipment.”

Craig Anderson, Reuse Network CEO, added: “With Fit for Reuse, we have developed the most comprehensive and up-to-date guidance to standards for electrical equipment reuse which will be used nation-wide to standardise electrical reuse across the board.

“We are very excited to have been awarded funding from Ecosurety to update our Fit for Reuse guidance. This is a much-needed piece of work for the reuse sector, and we would like to thank Ecosurety once again for selecting our project.”

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