Waste
Not Want Not - WEEE Directive
RDC is the specialist disposal subsidiary
of Computacenter
WEEE DIRECTIVE– WHAT IS IT ?The EU produces approximately 2 million tonnes of Electronic Waste per year, most of which currently goes to landfill. This material contains lots of stuff hazardous to human health and the environment and is expensive to transport, process and landfill. IT waste reresents 25% to 30% of this material. The WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive is the EU’s legislative response to this issue. Its basic principle is that the producer of these goods should pay for the processing of this waste material to reduce the volume going into landfill, and increase the percentage that is recovered and recycled (ie re-used in manufacture of new products) The WEEE directive is targetted at two main groups of companies – Producers and Distributors. The responsibilities of these two groups are divided into two areas – Household Waste and Business Waste.
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Unwanted computing equipment is contributing to a tidal wave of electronic waste that is threatening to engulf the country’s landfill sites. Every year, the UK dumps 900,000 tons of electrical and electronic waste at landfill sites, and this is predicted to grow annually by up to five per cent.
To help stem the tide of waste in the UK and the rest of continent, the EU has passed the WEEE Directive. Under the directive the UK will be expected to recycle up to 348,000 tons of electrical and electronic waste per year by 2005 with continual improvements thereafter.
The directive covers every type of electrical equipment from transistor radios and mainframe computer systems, to toasters and printers. This poses a massive challenge for commercial and industry companies, as they will need to ensure that unwanted IT equipment is disposed of legally and safely.
Effective Recycling
Compliance, however, should not be the only driver behind the disposal policies for unwanted computing equipment. By working with IT disposal experts, such as RDC, a specialist subsidiary of Computacenter, organisations can reduce the volume of waste through recycling and reuse – and even make a profit as a result.
As Gerry Hackett, Managing Director of RDC, explains: “Surprisingly a very large amount of the computer equipment sent for disposal especially by businesses is perfectly capable of being reused effectively. Over three-quarters of the equipment processed by RDC is redeployed, for example to the third world, or re-sold and the proceeds returned to the organisation that sent it in the first place.”
Organisations that have benefited from this approach include The
Royal Mail Group, the Inland Revenue and the Royal Bank of Scotland
Group, which has been able to re-use many thousands of computers
throughout its organisation.
IT equipment that can’t be reused by the bank is either resold
to generate income for re-investment, donated to worthy charity
programmes or non-working and obsolete equipment recycled with
zero per cent going to landfill.
David Graham, Environmental Manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, comments: “As one of the world's leading financial services organisation, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group places huge importance on meeting its environmental policy commitments. The management of redundant IT assets is a complex area with data, safety and environmental concerns that must be carefully considered and managed.”
By working with RDC, commercial and industry firms can also ensure that any machines being re-sold are cleared of any data, thus eliminating the risk of sensitive customer or corporate information being leaked into the public domain.
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With the help of Computacenter and the rollout of a pioneering workforce management solution, NTL has improved the efficiency of its engineers, reduced overheads and improved customer service.
European legislation means that businesses need to take even greater care when disposing of redundant IT equipment.
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