Recycling may be FREE for consumers of electrical and electronic equipment
Last year we reported on WEEE regulations that make producers of electrical and electronic equipment legally responsible for paying for the treatment and recycling of products at the end of their life.
Producers and distributors of electrical and electronic equipment must by law provide ways for their customers to return waste electrical and electronic equipment. They may do this through direct take-back schemes, for example where they collect waste equipment upon delivery of new equipment, or they can make arrangements with a third-party to do this on their behalf. Either way, the onus is on producers and distributors to make the process transparent for their customers.
Note: Although much of the responsibility for the actual recycling of products falls with producers, business users must obtain and keep proof that waste electrical and electronic equipment was given to an authorised waste-management company.
Recycling IT equipment helps the environment and the people in it
IT equipment often contains hazardous materials including dangerous heavy metals such as mercury. Consigning such items to landfill is not acceptable, environmentally, ethically or legally. This makes the proper disposal of IT equipment that has reached the end of its useful life an important responsibility for all business owners and IT managers.
As well as helping the environment, recycling can aid the people in it too. IT equipment that you no longer have any use for may be valuable to others and an effective recycling policy will see suitable equipment put to good use either in the UK or the developing world.
Since the introduction of WEEE regulations, Brent Council in London has donated 500 PCs, laptops and monitors to Computer Aid International, which arranged for the equipment to be wiped clean of all data, and shipped to Africa, free of charge. In addition to complying with its responsibilities under the law, the council has also found a way to see its equipment re-used in a secure and safe way. An inspiring meeting of responsibility and philanthropy.
Not recycling properly may put confidential information in the hands of others
When a computer or server is disposed of improperly it is possible that data held on system hard drives may be recoverable by those with basic IT skills. Deleting data from a hard drive or formatting it does not destroy the data irrecoverably.
Organisations who professionally recycle IT equipment have the technology to render data on hard drives inaccessible - thereby ensuring that confidentiality is maintained and Data Protection regulations are not breached.
Act now
It’s not often that you can help yourself, fulfil your legal and ethical responsibilities, and help others - all at the same time. But these are the benefits of recycling your old IT equipment.
Act now, by finding out more about the WEEE regulations at the Environment Agency website:
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