Businesses still unaware of WEEE

Businesses in the north seem oblivious to the impending waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive which will require that all such equipment is disposed of responsibly, according to northern-based waste management company Jade Care.

Managing director Alan Jamieson said: “We’re finding that businesses aren’t [aware of impending WEEE legislation] but Government authorities are. What is happening is that businesses are phoning local authorities and asking for collections, then finding they have to pay. So the local authorities are referring them to us.”

At the start of the year the company officially opened a WEEE storage facility, where it can bring WEEE on site and prepare it for recycling under one roof on its four acre site. Though it offers a national transfer, collection and disposal service, its location in Tyne and Wear means it primarily serves the North East, handling waste from local authorities, the NHS and B2B waste.

Jamieson said that getting the information out about WEEE recycling had been a slow process, believing that before the opening of his facility many in the area had no options for WEEE recycling available to them. But the message seems to be filtering through. “Over the last couple of months we’ve seen quite a big increase [in WEEE],” he said.

Original text is here