weee directive & smoke alarms

[Deleted member 19807]

Hi,

I am working on a contract to replace a number of smoke alarms in domestic properties that are past there replacement date.

can anyone shed any light on who/where the old smoke alarms should go to comply with the weee directive?

I have a waste carriers license and am aware that i should not be leaving the old smokes with the customer as it's my understanding they are classed as construction waste and its the responsibility of the contractor to remove all waste.

Cheers

Vince

 

[Plonker 3]

Just sling them in the bottom of your bin. How many times have you seen binmen checking the contents of a bin?

 

[Deleted member 19807]

Just sling them in the bottom of your bin. How many times have you seen binmen checking the contents of a bin?

they may notice 3-400, it also does not provide the paper trail required by the EA.

 

[Flanders]

Some wholesalers may take them off you hands for free its worth giving you local one a call

 

[Deleted member 19807]

Some wholesalers may take them off you hands for free its worth giving you local one a call

I already spoke to them and they were not forth coming, they said the customer can put them in their bin, which they can if they replace them but not if i do.

just wondering if anyone had chapter and verse on what should be done and by who.

 

[Fin170]

Wholesalers usually have a container for WEEE waste but I only ever see florescent tubes in them

Fire Angel | WEEE Directive

Sums it up as 'use the bin', which I find surprising as I would of thought they would of had a reserved section for ionising (aka 'do not eat') detectors

We have them separated along with ceramics to avoid setting off contamination alarms

 

[tazz]

Directive is clear ...optical smokes can be sent for recycling of components ....ionization containing radio isotopes, must be disposed of correctly, local council should give advise on which site can contain them along with batteries etc.

 

[Richard Burns]

Smoke alarms contain americium 241 (ionizing detectors) are specifically designed to contain very low levels of radioactive isotope, such that it comes under VLLW (very low level waste). This waste can be disposed of via your normal waste route for waste electronic and electrical equipment.
However large quantities of smoke alarms should not be collected together for disposal as they will then become classed as radioactive waste.
In general they should be distributed among the normal waste.
If you were to dispose of 3-400 then you would need to comply with the radioactive waste regulations that are not simple or cheap to comply with and certainly not for alpha emitters. These would override the usual WEEE requlations.

However this is from an out of date radioactive waste direction rather than an electrical direction so may be slightly skewed.

 

[Deleted member 19807]

just a quick update,

I have spoken to the environment agency this morning and been advised to leave the old alarms with the customer for them to put in their household waste.

 

[UNG]

just a quick update,

I have spoken to the environment agency this morning and been advised to leave the old alarms with the customer for them to put in their household waste.

Just have visions of a bin wagon with 3 - 400 detectors on board being too radioactive to dump it's load

 

[Deleted member 19807]

during my extensive investigation it seems transport of up to 500 units in one load by road is exempt from any restrictions.

it was also found that 1 smoke/0.1 cubic m of waste is an acceptable lvl for land fill.

 

[tazz]

When i worked for a certain manufacture, the isotope blocks measuring mm, where stored a very heavy lead case, with the surrounding area restricted. All you could here was the clicking of geiger counters, as the women assembled the smoke detectors. Rules of company, you had to be over 50 to work on that section, incase of becoming sterile. Remember Environment guys always in checking levels.....but hey same people saying chuck em in the bin...???