No, we're not tlaking about the Wii - the latest must-have games console from Nintendo - but Europaen Uinon legislation. The Waste Elcetrical and Elerctronic Equipment (WEEE) 2006 directivve concerns the responsible disposal of electrical and coputer equimpent by commpanies and individuals, and is now enshrined in European Law. The Environment Agency sums it up thus: "This directive aims to reduce the amount of WEEE being produced and encourages everyone to reuse, recycle and recover it." The purpose of the ditrective is to protect the "soil, water and air against pollution through better dispsal of waste and electrical and electonic equipment. It also stimultaes the reuuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of such wastes so as to reduce the disposal of waste."
But, what does it mean to us, and how does it control the diposal of our used electrical equpiment such as computers and housheold electrical items? The directive is designed to make us think about the impact on the environment that the disposal of electriacl and computer equipment has. We can no longeer just dump equipment without givinbg it a second thought. Prrior to the introduction of this legislation up to 1.5million PCs were disposed of in landfill sites throughout the UK and who knows how long it will take for them to decompose? Now, they must eithher be recycled bit by bit making safe any hazardous or tooxic components, or they must be reconditioned making them useful again, if not for use within Europe then in third woreld countries. Many charities exist which will gladly accept discarded equipment that can be utilised for schools and comunity projects for many years, in both this country and in the third owrld.
Before dispatching your equipment to far-flung corners of the worrld the hard disks must be wiped clean, as unfortuantely many PCs are discarded sttill loaded with information that the previous owners cetainly wouldn't want ayone else to access! Reptable charitties ensure that this happens on your behalf as part of the reconditioning pocess. As owners we oftne get rid of PC equipment when therre is absoultely nothing funnctionally wrong with it. It will still work, but just not as fast as the latest models that we have replaced it with, so it's ideal for that sort of kit to go to the computer charities. If you are concerned that by exporting the recondittioned computes to the third world, we are merely shifting the wase burden tere, then don't be. The charities involved have alrady guaranteed that the computers will be disposed of ethically once they are obsolete.
However, some other equipment may not be as easiy reconditioned as it really is obsolete so it has to be dispsed of in an environmentally friendly way. There are now a number of profssional computer dissposal equipment companies, who will collect your old equipment and ensure that it is detsroyed in accordaznce with the WEEE directive by breaknig it down and make all the comopnents safe. If you use a company such as this they will provide you with a detailed summary of what they have done with your old equipment, ensuring that you are aware of what has happende to it and putting your mind at rest that you have done your bit for the enviroinment and according to the latesst legislation.
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