Firms gear up for big impact of WEEE

Tom Young, Computing.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations are due to come into force on 1 January 2007 in the UK, some two years later than expected, and will have an impact on all IT users disposing of old equipment.

The main obligations on producers and distributors of electrical materials come into force from 1 April 2007, and full producer responsibility for the costs of WEEE will start on 1 July 2007.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is running a consultation to seek the views of businesses, manufacturers, retailers, producers, local authorities and enforcement authorities on the draft WEEE regulations.

The new laws make the seventh and final point of Computing’s Green Charter especially relevant: dispose of old hardware responsibly; send old PCs to be reconditioned and recycled.

‘Electrical and electronic equipment is the fastest-growing category of waste across the European Union, with an estimated 17kg to 20kg per person produced every year. The UK alone generated about one million tonnes of waste equipment last year,’ said energy minister Malcolm Wicks.

Companies with operations in continental Europe are leading the way on implementing the WEEE directive, while the UK is behind in its legislation.

Printer-maker Konica Minolta Printing Solutions has been running its Clean Planet programme since 2001 – see box – and senior product manager Tom Streumer says the company is going beyond the requirements of the directive. ‘Our environmental activities are not limited to what we are legally required to do,’ he said.

‘We want to prevent the pollution and environmental hazards associated with chemicals, and that’s why we started the Clean Planet programme, which is acti ve in 16 countries.’

The company has established a set of green procurement standards for purchasing chemical materials. Under these rules, some 1,500 substances are prohibited or restricted.

‘We believe in setting cost-cutting targets as well as recycling rates, as we have to take account of real-world economics,’ said Streumer. ‘We intend to have a final waste disposal rate of less than five per cent,’ said Streumer.

To achieve this, Konica Minolta Printing Solutions is trying not to buy unnecessary items of hardware. The company also uses all acquired items efficiently, recycles equipment internally where possible and carefully monitors what happens to the waste it produces.

‘We implement risk management so that disposed waste is properly handled,’ said a Konica Minolta Printing Solutions spokesman.

‘We select reliable contractors that are registered and managed on a database. A wide range of related information, such as illegal waste disposal, regulations, and environmental technologies, is also on the database. This information is collated to ensure the most appropriate route for waste disposal.’

Gartner principal analyst Meike Escherich says companies in Europe are generally more advanced in WEEE compliance than those in the UK.

‘Several of the continental countries had a head start in terms of already having national legislation. They already have all the necessary associations, clearing houses and certified recyclers in place. They are also more aware of green issues generally than we are in the UK,’ she said.

The UK government has been less effective than other European governments in preparing businesses, says Escherich.

‘If you look at the smaller businesses – let’s say up to 300 employees – the DTI has tried, but in my view failed, to inform them of impending changes,’ she said. ‘The DTI has been so busy gazing at its own navel, sorting out perceived problems, that it somehow forgot to tell the public this will affect them.’

The DTI puts the cost of implementing the WEEE directive for businesses and suppliers at between £108m and £124m in 2008. But this will have less impact on businesses because the law requires that manufacturers and sellers provide take-back facilities, allowing businesses to easily dispose of computers and other electronics that have come to the end of their lives.

‘The main issue with users is to make them aware that when they sign up for their next tender for PCs and servers, they make it quite clear they want disposal and recycling to be part of the contract. We need to make users aware that it’s not actually a big problem,’ she said.

‘It could even be an advantage because, in the past, when no one cared about recycling this waste, it was an obvious problem. But now, companies such as Dell will be pleased to do it, because it gives them a competitive advantage.

‘Professional recycling companies can also help businesses to comply with the regulations.’

A recent report by HP says that if manufacturers and users all work together, implementing WEEE could cost as little as one pence per machine.

Original text is here