Environmental Services

It's easy to be environmentally friendly with RS

WEEE Recycling

RS is defined as a producer under the WEEE Regulations because we sell “own brand” Electrical & Electronic Equipment (EEE) in the UK. Our WEEE Producer Registration Number is WEE/GF0002ZR.

It is the responsibility of the user to dispose of WEEE in an environmentally friendly way. This can be done at a civil amenity site, an approved treatment facility or through a relevant compliance scheme.

RS works in partnership with WeeeCare Compliance Scheme which is operated by WasteCare. WasteCare has national coverage and will collect, recycle or dispose of, in an environmentally sound way, our obligated WEEE.

RS Obligated WEEE

Is defined as “RS” or “Iso-Tech” branded EEE which is marked with a crossed wheelie bin and date bar, falling within the scope of the regulation, or EEE from any producer being replaced with RS or Iso-Tech branded products in a like-for-like replacement.

Service choices - we offer you the following 3 options for WEEE recovery of these items:

1. For small items under 1kg

These may be posted to the Weee processing centre at:

RS Components, c/o WeeeCare, Valley House,

Knowsthorpe Lane, Leeds, LS9 0PF

If the item does not have the wheelie bin marker with bar please include a copy of the sales invoice of the item replacing it.

Not suitable for hazardous waste.

2. Any obligated item up to 20kg

May be deposited at one of our trade counters free of charge*.

For a list of all our trade counters please click here.

If the item does not have the wheelie bin marker with bar please include a copy of the sales invoice of the item replacing it. Not suitable for hazardous waste.

3. To arrange a site collection of RS obligated waste, please call us on 01536 444447.

If you have any queries about these services, please call us on 01536 444447.

RS has the responsibility to provide a free of charge collection service for our obligated WEEE. Our obligation is for RS or Iso-Tech branded equipment only.

Any other WEEE is the responsibility of other Producers, you need to contact their compliance scheme for a free recovery of their obligated WEEE.

*Items accepted at Trade Counter Manager's discretion.

To view the RS Components/WasteCare Collection Terms, click here.

Battery Recycling

As a producer of batteries, we have registered with the scheme operated by Ecosurety, and our Battery Producer Registration Number is: BPRN00491

Recycling Portable Batteries

This applies to any battery not listed under "Industrial Batteries", i.e. batteries weighing <4kg.

As a distributor of portable batteries, we offer the following facilities:

Take-back:                                                                 

Via our network of RS Locals. We will take-back waste portable batteries at our branches. For locations, click here. (Link to https://uk.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=services/branch-network)

Collection Points:

Our scheme provider Ecosurety has an extensive network of collection bins. For the nearest location to you, please visit www.recyclenow.com

Should you have any difficulty viewing this information, please call Ecosurety on 0845 094 2226 or email them at  collections@ecosurety.com.

If you are planning to recycle a lead-acid battery over 2kg, please contact the collection point before visiting to ensure they will accept it. Most supermarkets will be unable to accept these. Alternatively Ecosurety can collect, as below.

Collections:

Ecosurety will arrange a free-of-charge collection from your premises, provided the total weight of portable batteries exceeds 40kg. Collecting small volumes below 40kg is not considered environmentally best practice.

To book a battery collection, please fill in the Ecosurety collection order form here:

https://www.ecosurety.com/waste-recycling/.

Collection will normally be arranged within 15 – 20 working days.

If you require a 5 litre battery bucket to facilitate your battery collections, please contact Ecosurety. These come with a supply of plastic liner bags which are collected by Ecosurety. (Larger barrels can also be provided on request). Replacement plastic liner bags can also be ordered through https://www.ecosurety.com/waste-recycling/.

Ecosurety will confirm at the time of collection booking the size of the load for collection.

In any case, the waste must be accessible for the driver (e.g. at ground level). Site access restrictions will also need to be detailed to allow for the driver to plan for the collection.

If you use your own containers, to be acceptable for transportation, the following criteria have to be met:

•             Batteries to be in a plastic liner, inside a dry, plastic sealed container

•             Containers potentially containing lithium batteries are marked on the outside USED LITHIUM BATTERIES (in letters at least 12mm high) and packed in container of no more than 30kg.

•             Lead Acid batteries MUST be stored separately from dry batteries

Recycling Industrial Batteries

As defined by the legislation, we are a producer of RS and Ritar branded industrial batteries. During this compliance period and over the last three years we have placed the following chemistry types of batteries on to the UK markets:

Valve regulated sealed lead-acid batteries over 4kg*

* lead-acid batteries under 4kg can be considered portable, for these see the section on Portable Batteries.

Under our obligations as a producer of industrial batteries, we will take back waste lead acid industrial batteries free of charge and within a reasonable time from an end-user during the compliance period, provided:

•             The end user being supplied by RS with new batteries during the compliance period,

•             The end user not being able for any reason to return waste batteries to the original producer, or

•             The waste product is of the same chemistry and product type as that placed on the market by RS during the compliance period or any of the preceding 3 years.

The options are:

Take-back:

Via our network of RS Locals. We will take-back waste RS industrial batteries at our branches. For locations, click here. (Link to https://uk.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=services/branch-network)

Collections:

Ecosurety will on our behalf collect free-of-charge any waste lead acid industrial batteries you wish to return for recycling.

Contact Ecosurety either by completing the Ecosurety collection order form here: https://www.ecosurety.com/waste-recycling/, specifying that you are a customer of RS Components.

Lamp Recycling

How to recycle lamps

Check if the lamp producer is a Recolight member. If so you can recycle your lamps free of charge through Recolights compliance scheme. Visit Recolight’s website to find your nearest open collection point.

Alternatively if you have a large quantity of lamps and would like to arrange for a one-off collection, call the Recolight team on 0845 6017749 and they will find the best solution for you.

How much will it cost?

If you have sufficient quantities of lamps to be collected and recycled, Recolight can arrange that free of charge.

If you have smaller quantities where it is not viable to collect directly, Recolight provides a national network of collection points where you can arrange for the lamps to be delivered. Read about Recolight's open collection points.

Recolight

Recolight was established by the UK lamp industry in 2005 primarily for the purpose of operating a WEEE compliance scheme on behalf of lamp producers in the UK.

Its operating model is based upon one developed by the European Lamp Companies Federation (ELC) - a European Trade Association for lamp manufacturers - although the implementation is different in each country, reflecting the different national implementations of the WEEE Directive EC2002/94.

Recolight received scheme operator approval number WEE/MP3838PR/SCH on 21st February 2007 and went live operationally on July 2nd 2007.

Read Recolight's FAQ's

Your responsibilities

If you produce, move, receive or dispose of hazardous waste, there are certain procedures you must follow under the Hazardous Waste regulations.

You can legally dispose of lamps at your local civic amenities site, through open collection points operated by Recolight or distribution take back facilities.

Our responsibilities

RS as a business-to-business (non-household distributor) organisation has no obligation to collect any lamps under the UK WEEE Regulations as we do not:

• Manufacture and sell own branded lamps
• Resell re-branded lamps produced by others
• Import such equipment into the European Union

Since July 1st 2007 lamp manufacturers have been invoicing their customers (e.g. RS) with a recycling charge, on a per-unit-sold basis. This is a single charge rate and covers all lamps in scope of the Regulations, irrespective of use, type or construction.

A fixed fee applies, for every lamp sold into the UK market.

The fee is then passed from manufacturer/producer to the distributor, then on to the final end user, the customer, i.e. manufacturer - RS (distributor) - You (customer or end user).

Most businesses have taken the decision to make this separate fee visible on invoices and this fee is not subject to any discounts, but does attract VAT. RS has chosen to include the surcharge in the sell price of the lamp and not to show it as a separate line.

Many end users believe because they have paid the distributor the fee for recycling the lamp (passed on from manufacturers/producers) that the distributor (RS) is responsible for the collection, transportation and recycling.

This is not the case. The responsibility lies with the manufacturer or producer as explained above. If you whish to have your lamps recycled by the obligated manufacturer or producer please contact the UK lamp industries compliance scheme Recolight.