E-Waste Day 2025: Unlocking the hidden value in your old electricals.

Today is National E-Waste Day and First Mile is proud to share its dedication to making sustainable WEEE recycling and reuse the new normal for businesses across the UK.

The scale of the UK’s WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) problem is significant. According to data from Material Focus, total WEEE collections in the UK reached 496,000 tonnes in 2024, up only marginally from 493,000 tonnes in 2018 despite underlying growth in electronics placed on the market.

Each year, First Mile collect around 24 tonnes of WEEE, ranging from laptops and smartphones to fridges and fluorescent lamps. Customers can easily book collections via the portal, choosing from tailored options such as the 25kg WEEE Sack, WEEE Sticker for bulky items, or 40L Tote Box for mixed electronics requiring secure data wiping and certification.

Once collected, items are categorised into one of 14 WEEE types and directed to appropriate end destinations:

Reuse: Around 10–15% of WEEE is refurbished and resold, primarily IT and telecom equipment. Devices are data-wiped, reinstalled with fresh operating systems, and listed on First Mile’s eBay shop, which boasts 99% positive feedback from over 1,000 satisfied customers.

Raw material recovery: 15–20% of items, such as cables, chargers, and unrepairable electronics are sent to a supply chain partner where materials are recovered and a rebate is paid per kilogram.

Disposal: The remaining 70% is responsibly disposed of via partners like SWEEEP and Recolight, using advanced AI-powered sorting systems and industry leading technologies to safely dismantle the many hazardous components.

Special handling is provided for items such as fridges and gas lamps, which require manual dismantling and strict environmental controls. First Miles partnership with the Environmental Agency ensures full compliance with the latest regulations and contributes to continuous improvement in service quality.

Since 2023, First Mile has successfully reused over 3.5 tonnes of WEEE, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and innovation in the waste management sector.

Janice Lack, Marketing Manager at Greenzone, commented: “The mission is to make recycling easy, safe, and impactful. First Mile combine industry expertise, technology, compliance and customer service to help businesses reduce their environmental footprint.”

By facilitating streamlined collections for business and applying best practices in reuse, data wiping, material recovery and safe disposal the goal is to lessen the impact of the growth in electronics waste helping the UK progress toward a circular economy for WEEE waste. For more information or to book a WEEE collection, visit www.firstmile.co.uk.

Sources: Materials focus, Gov.uk