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Frequently asked
questions

Northamptonshire E-waste and Electrical Recycling was founded by Daniel with a simple
belief: businesses deserve an e-waste partner that is genuinely accountable,
fully licenced and actually local.

  • About the collection service
Is the collection really free of charge?

Yes — for 10 or more items of qualifying e-waste, collection is completely free. There are no hidden charges, no call-out fees and no unexpected invoices after the job. We recoup costs through the responsible recycling and recovery of materials from the equipment we collect.

The minimum for a free collection is 10 items of qualifying electrical or electronic equipment. If you have fewer than 10 items, get in touch anyway — we may still be able to help, particularly if you’re located near another scheduled collection or have items of higher material value.

We’re based in Northampton and provide free collections throughout all of Northamptonshire. We also cover neighbouring counties within approximately 50 miles of Northampton — including parts of Buckinghamshire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Warwickshire and Cambridgeshire. If you’re unsure whether your location qualifies, call or email and we’ll let you know straight away.

We aim to confirm your collection within 24 hours of receiving your enquiry, and in many cases we can collect within 2 to 3 business days. Same-day and next-day collections are sometimes possible depending on location and schedule. If you have an urgent requirement — for example, an office move — contact Daniel directly by phone and we’ll do everything we can to accommodate it.

Yes. We regularly collect in the evenings and at weekends to fit around your team’s schedule. Just let us know your preferred time when you get in touch and we’ll do our best to accommodate it. This is one of the practical advantages of working with a small, owner-operated business rather than a large national company.

Yes. We regularly work with organisations clearing large volumes of equipment as part of planned IT refresh cycles. Whether it’s 10 laptops or 500 mixed items across multiple sites, we can plan a collection — or series of collections — to minimise disruption to your team and premises. Get in touch early in your refresh planning and we’ll help structure the logistics around your timeline.

  • Data security & destruction
How do you handle data security?
All data-bearing devices — hard drives, SSDs, NVMe drives, phones, tablets — are wiped using NIST 800-88 Rev 1 certified processes. This is the internationally recognised standard for media sanitisation and is accepted by the ICO, NHS Digital and most regulated sector security frameworks. We are registered with the ICO (ZC000314) and operate in full compliance with UK GDPR. You receive a written data destruction certificate for every device, issued within 48 hours of collection.
 
You will receive a signed data erasure certificate within 48 hours of collection. This certificate identifies the devices processed (by type and where available by serial number), confirms the erasure standard applied (NIST 800-88 Rev 1), and is signed by Daniel as the responsible operator. This document is designed to satisfy your DPO, IT manager, governors or other compliance stakeholders.
 
No — and neither is a standard format or factory reset. Deleted files and formatted drives can be recovered using widely available software. For GDPR compliance, data must be destroyed using a certified, auditable process such as NIST 800-88 overwriting, or physical destruction. This is exactly what we provide. If you are unsure whether data has been removed from devices before collection, you do not need to do anything — our erasure process will address it.
 
Yes. For situations where physical destruction is required — for example, drives that cannot be sanitised by software due to damage, or where your security policy requires physical shredding — we can arrange this. Please mention your requirements when booking and we will confirm the options available to you.
 
  • Compliance & documentation
Why do we need a Waste Transfer Note?
A Waste Transfer Note (WTN) is a legal requirement under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. It documents the transfer of controlled waste — which includes all electrical and electronic equipment — from your organisation to a licensed waste carrier. Without a WTN, you have no evidence that your waste was disposed of legally, which exposes your organisation to prosecution under the Duty of Care provisions of the EPA 1990. We provide a WTN at every collection, at no charge.
 
Under the EPA 1990, Waste Transfer Notes must be retained for a minimum of two years. For data destruction certificates related to personal data under UK GDPR, we recommend retaining these for as long as relevant to your data protection record-keeping obligations — typically a minimum of three to five years, or as required by any sector-specific regulation. Store them somewhere accessible for your DPO and IT lead.
 
Yes. Our Waste Carriers Licence (CBDU516511), Environment Agency registration (EXP/CP3541YQ) and ICO registration (ZC000314) are all applicable to both private sector and public sector clients, including NHS organisations, local authorities, schools, colleges and other publicly funded bodies. If your procurement process requires additional documentation, please get in touch and we will provide whatever is needed.
 
Yes, and we actively welcome it. Many of our clients use us on an ongoing basis — quarterly, bi-annually or whenever they have accumulated enough equipment. If you would like to set up a regular schedule, just speak to Daniel and we can arrange a standing agreement that fits your organisation’s IT disposal cycle.
 
  • Equipment & eligibility
Does the equipment need to be in working order?
No. We collect equipment in any condition — working, broken, water-damaged, physically damaged or incomplete. Whether it’s fully functional laptops from a refresh or a pile of broken monitors that have been in storage for years, we’ll take it. The condition of the equipment does not affect your eligibility for a free collection.
 
Our service is primarily aimed at businesses, schools and organisations disposing of equipment in a commercial context. However, if you work from home or run a small business and have a mix of business and personal devices, this is fine — we are happy to discuss your specific situation. We do not currently run a residential doorstep collection service for individual households with small quantities of personal electronics.
Every item is assessed after collection. Where possible, equipment in good condition is refurbished and re-entered into use — extending its functional life and reducing demand for new devices. Equipment that cannot be refurbished is fully disassembled and component parts — including circuit boards, copper, rare earth metals and plastics — are separated and sent to licensed recycling facilities. Nothing goes to landfill. Our zero-landfill commitment is absolute.
If it runs on electricity and you’re disposing of it, the answer is almost certainly yes — it qualifies. The WEEE Regulations apply to a wide range of products beyond just computers and phones. If you’re unsure about a specific item, simply call or email and describe what you have. We’ll give you a straight answer within the hour.
  • Pricing & payment
Will I ever receive an invoice?
No — for qualifying collections of 10 or more items, the service is entirely free. You will never receive an invoice or be asked for payment at any stage of the process. The only thing we ask for is a signature on the Waste Transfer Note, which is a legal requirement rather than a commercial formality.
 
For the vast majority of collections, there is no charge whatsoever. In rare cases — for example, very small collections in remote locations, or equipment that has particularly high disposal costs such as certain battery types — we may discuss whether a contribution is needed. We will always be transparent about this before confirming your booking, so there are never any surprises.
 
  • Still have questions?

Daniel is available by phone, email
or WhatsApp – including evenings
and weekends. Most questions are
answered within the hour.

07756 145492
✉️ Send an email
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Free collection for 10+ items across
Northamptonshire and surrounding
counties.

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Ready when you are

Ready to clear your IT backlog?

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Or call Daniel directly on 07756 145492 — available evenings and weekends.