e-Waste UK

Making Sense of the WEEE Directive: What is it, and what is it aiming to achieve?

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:38:00 +0000

The WEEE directive has been published in response to the ever growing pile of electronic waste we are generating. It first became law in the UK in 2003 and has been updated a number of times, most recently in 2009.

In the UK alone we produce around 1.8 million tonnes each year so it’s something that really needs dealing with effectively and responsibly. One of the big problems with e-waste is the hazardous chemicals it contains which, if not disposed of responsibly can leach into water systems and cause extensive environmental damage. The WEEE Directive covers a wide range of electrical and electronic products, although some are exempt from certain requirements.

The types of products covered are:

Large and small household appliances
IT and telecommunication equipment
Consumer equipment such as TVs, videos, hi-fi lighting, electrical and electronic tools (except large stationary industrial tools) toys, leisure and sports equipment
Automatic dispensers
Medical devices (these are exempt from the WEEE recycling and recovery targets)
Monitoring and control instruments

There is also The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, which specifically aims to reduce substances such as lead and mercury in new electronic equipment.

These two directives provide a “double pronged” approach to tackle the problems of e-waste from both ends.

One particularly key aim of the WEEE directive is to reduce the amount of electrical and equipment being produced and to encourage everyone to reuse, recycle and recover it.

This means that both individuals and businesses have formal responsibilities in terms of dealing with e-waste: recycling it where possible and disposing of it in the right way. Of course, we all that responsibility before – just now we can’t get out of it!

Remploy e-cycle helps organisations in the United Kingdom to recycle computers and electronic waste, meeting all their IT and communications (ICT) equipment recycling needs. They should be every businesses first port of call when it comes to seamless compliance with the WEEE directive.

Top Tips for a Great E-waste Drive!

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:47:00 +0000

When @Sharlaboo contacted us through Twitter to ask us what our top tips for a successful e-waste drive are, we got to thinking. What does make for a successful e-waste drive and what does it take to go on and do it?

The key to a successful drive is to ensure before you start that you’ve planned it thoroughly from start to finish. That means being clear about what you’re going to collect and what you’re going to do with the items you’re going to collect. The last thing you want is to find you’re stuck with items that you can’t deal with effectively. And there are plenty of rules and regulations you need to read up on to make sure you’re fulfilling your responsibilities. But don’t let all that put you off – there are people out there who know every nook and cranny of the WEEE directive.

It’s also important to have a clear timescale within which to complete your drive. That way you can see what kind of e-waste landscape is in your area – what items people are looking to dispose of, how many people will use the service in a given timescale and whether the drive took place in the right place at the right time. By working in this way, you can effectively review your drive and find out what went well and where improvements can be made.

So who do we recommend here in the UK for anyone looking for a great e-waste drive? Remploy e-cycle helps organisations in the United Kingdom to recycle computers and electronic waste, meeting all their IT and communications (ICT) equipment recycling needs.

Remploy e-cycle guarantees data security and destruction during the recycling process, enabling the safe re-sale of your end-of-use equipment adhere to the highest of international standards (including ISO 14001 and ISO 9001). They also make a sustainable difference in the lives of disabled people by providing employment, learning and personal growth opportunities.

So, here are our top tips:

Make sure your campaign is targeted:

Who is going to use the e-waste bins
Where is the best place to situate the bins for that group

Complete the process:

Once you’ve gathered the e-waste what are you going to do with it
Are you going to use a certified body to deal with the e-waste (recommended)
How are you going to ensure all data on the devices is erased
Make sure you’re up to date on the laws regarding data security and e-waste disposal

Put together a seamless team:

Who is going to manage each aspect of the project
How are they going to communicate effectively with one another

Make sure the right people know about it:

How, when and where are you going to advertise

Get the time frame right:

How long will the project last
How will you evaluate the effectiveness of the project

Here are our top tips to make your IT TIP tops

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:11:00 +0000

It’s good to know that the information on the blog here at e-Waste UK seems be proving useful. One particular person with e-cycling concerns at the top of their agenda got in touch asking our advice about the use of e-waste bins on a college campus. The discussion led to our suggestions for the most effective ways to roll out a successful e-waste project, which we’ve listed below…

First of all, make sure that your campaign is targeted. To ensure this happens, ask yourself who is going to use the ecycling resources that you are putting in place. Once you have defined your audience, you then need to work out the most convenient and appropriate places to situate the waste disposal facilities.

The same as with any recycling scheme, to be successful you need to make sure you keep on top of the processes involved. For example, once you’ve gathered the e-waste what are you going to do with it? How are you going to ensure that all of the data on the devices you collect is erased? It’s important to make sure you’re up to date on the laws regarding data security and e-waste disposal.

Another consideration that goes hand-in-hand with the above is who is going to manage each aspect of the project and how are they going to communicate with each other? What you need to do is put together a team that can work seamlessly together.

Ecycling campaigns are only effective if people know about them. Ask yourself how, when and where are you going to advertise? It’s imperative that you spread the word to raise awareness. Maybe even think about incentivising people to get involved.

Put a time frame in place and decide in advance how long the e-waste drive is going to last for. Also, when all is said and done, how will you know if the e-waste project has been successful? Define the ways and means of evaluating just how effective the scheme has been.

We wish you every success with your green IT projects and why not get in touch if you would like to ask any questions to help get your environmental campaigns up and running…

Find out more about green IT solutions.

Electronic waste can have a very expensive effect on the environment. So why is talk so cheap?

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:16:00 +0000

With so much scrutiny and debate going on over the issues surrounding eWaste, why isn’t more being done? Is it time to simply stop talking and start acting? Is bureaucracy getting in the way? Or is it vital that we carefully evaluate every step of the actions we take?

It would appear that currently there are several occurrences of electronic waste being disposed of illegally around the world, particularly in Africa.

The Independent Newspaper recently reported that Greenpeace has uncovered evidence that UK electronic waste, such as TVs and computers, are being illegally dumped in Nigeria.

It’s certainly thought by many that Lagos in Nigeria and Accra in Ghana are being used as dumping grounds for toxic European electronic waste, which is being disguised as second-hand goods.

But what’s the truth?

Greenpeace had its own methods of finding out, which they reported as follows: “Acting on a tip-off, we launched our operation to see just where some electronic waste was ending up. We took an unfixable TV, fitted it with a tracking device and brought it to the UK’s Hampshire county council for recycling. Instead of being safely dismantled in the UK or Europe, like it should have been, the council’s ‘recycling’ company, BJ Electronics, passed it on as ’second-hand goods’ and it was shipped off to Nigeria to be sold or scrapped and dumped.”

But even in the light of such events, it’s important not to be too alarmist. However, we should certainly strive to be decisive.

What is important is that we put in place the most effective ways to address the issues.

Tony Roberts, from Computer Aid International, believes there is no mystery about what needs to be done. He thinks the way forward is for every country to build the end-of-life processing facilities required to handle their own eWaste.

He also points out that the best recycling centres exist in the countries that have an effective green and environmental lobby that can force their government to put end-of-life recycling capacity in place.

Mr Roberts lists five central demands that he claims must be made of government authorities:

1. Outlaw the importation of foreign Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
2. Outlaw the dumping of domestic eWaste (WEEE)
3. Compel the re-use of EEE through social re-use programs for rural hospitals and disadvantaged schools
4. Compel the recycling of all WEEE at the end of it useful life
5. Resource the effective policing of these laws and prosecution of those who break this law

What do you think is realistic for us to accomplish? And exactly how should we achieve it?

If you are an IT Manager, or responsible for the recycling of WEEE in your organisation, are you fully aware of the legal issues and what you can achieve?

Find out more about recycling eWaste at ecycle.remploy.co.uk.

Read more about the views of Tony Roberts from Computer Aid International.

Read more about Greenpeace using GPS to track illegal e-waste in Nigeria.

What a wonderful way to use waste!

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:27:00 +0000

When it comes to recycling, a little bit of imagination can go a long, long way. The more inventive we can be in terms of the ways we re-use the electronic waste we produce, the better…

You can’t help but admire the circuit board Christmas tree ornaments produced by Recycle2Shop.com. The company is clearly very resourceful and, on top of that, they demonstrate that if we think creatively about how we re-use our WEEE, we can not only develop brand new ways of recycling and reducing harmful waste, we can also make the process profitable as well.

Recycle2shop is driven by a desire to help the environment by decreasing landfill. Everything they sell and promote is made from recycled materials and they call what they do: ‘Trash 2 Treasure’. It is certainly an admirable ethos.

What is also pleasing to know is that they aren’t alone.

There are literally hundreds of companies out there producing arts, crafts and gifts from recycled waste. Not all of it is manufactured from electronic items but the shared mindset appears to be simple, effective and lucrative: Don’t recycle it; re-create it.

Have you got any exciting new ideas of what to do with your old PCs, TVs, phones and fridges?

You could be sitting on a goldmine!

Read more about Recycle2shop:

Find out about making additional revenue from end-of-use ICT equipment.

To stop us constantly changing our gadgets would require changing our human nature. Or would it?

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:28:00 +0000

In today’s world – where the large and rapid consumption of technology is driven by the public’s demand for smaller, faster and cheaper gadgets – is the idea of charging consumers an upfront fee to reduce replacement rates, as well as cover the eventual cost of recycling, commercially feasible? Or is it just wishful thinking?

According to researchers at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, including the cost of recycling in the initial cost of an item has two benefits: firstly, it will encourage people to actually use their electronic devices for longer; secondly, it will give manufacturers more research and development time to enhance the products they launch to market.

There is no doubt that we devour technology at an astonishing rate. On average, Americans replace their mobile phones every 18 months, in Europe it is every 15 months, and in Japan – where gadgets are revered perhaps more than anywhere else – the replacement cycle is just nine months.

And it’s not just phones that get upgraded regularly. The global replacement rate for digital cameras is between two and three years, and for PCs it is approximately four years. With so much potentially harmful electronic waste being produced, it’s no wonder that the laws and issues surrounding the recycling of WEEE are such hot topics.

Erica Plambeck of Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and Qiong Wang of Alcatel-Lucent Bell Laboratories, quite rightly point out that if the replacement cycle of electronic items can be slowed down then we will see a dramatic reduction in the amount of waste produced. They believe they’ve found that government initiatives – such as the recycling fee added to the cost of new electronics in California – can provide a successful method of accomplishing this goal.

Talking about adding an upfront recycling fee to electronic products, Erica Plambeck said: ”When this additional cost to consumers is added at the beginning of the product life cycle, a ‘new equilibrium’ is established. Manufacturers are in less of a rush to introduce new products. Consumers anticipate using an item for longer, and so are willing to pay more for it.”

However, are her views realistic? The world of business is driven by profits and capital assets, so why would a manufacturer want to sell fewer products? And when you also consider the extent that marketing methods and advertising messages manipulate us into believing that our social status is often defined by the material objects we own, then the desire for wanting the ‘newer and better’ version of a gadget is, quite simply, part of our human nature.

And that is something which is going to be very difficult to change.

A general overview on recycling your IT equipment.

WEEE Recycling: coming soon to a High Street near you.

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:22:00 +0000

Recycling our smaller WEEE items… it’s all a matter of convenience.

In a world where convenience is king, it is easy to understand – but not condone – why we dispose of our smaller waste electrical equipment without the necessary regard to the environment. But just because an item is small does not mean it isn’t significant in terms of the damage it can do if it isn’t recycled correctly.

We have mentioned before about the convenience of recycling our old phones and smaller WEEE items when compared to larger waste equipment. A television or refrigerator, for example, can’t be easily ignored when it comes to throwing them out. But an old and defunct phone, remote control, battery or bulb can be easily discarded without so much as a second thought.

So how do we solve the problem?

Well, it would appear that the issue is a hot topic for many commercial organisations. And that can only be a good thing.

For example, Sainsbury’s has just announced that they will introduce an electric and electronic recycling point for lightbulbs and batteries in their stores from the end of January 2010.

Many of us visit the supermarket at least once a week, and knowing that a recycling facility is available will undoubtedly increase our awareness, as well as our habit, of recycling everyday electronic waste.

Sainsbury's environmental affairs manager, Jack Cunningham said: "Battery collections also become a requirement in the UK from early 2010, Sainsbury's is therefore delighted to be the first national UK retailer to launch a co-collection scheme for both waste streams."

Another high street name that we are all familiar with – Marks & Spencer – is approaching the issue with a different approach. To tie in with the festive season the company is launching a corporate recycling offer to turn unwanted mobile phones and IT assets into M&S Luxury Christmas Hampers.

The offer, which is open to any business, begins on October 19th and will run up until 11th December. The promotion will match the value of any unwanted mobile and IT assets with a like-for-like valued M&S Christmas hamper.

Sales and Marketing Director Simon Walsh said: “We feel this is an excellent promotion for the run in to Christmas. It’s a convenient and easy way for firms to turn unwanted mobile and IT assets into quality hampers which can be used for party celebrations, incentives and various other internal activities”

And then there is the EcoATM! Looking very similar to a standalone cash dispenser, this automated reuse-and-recycle machine allows consumers to recycle abandoned electronics. Currently the machine only accepts phones, but it will be able to take other electronic equipment – cameras, MP3 players, computers – in the near future. To use EcoATM, you feed your old phone into the machine, which analyses it and assigns the item a value. You can then choose to receive a store credit, if the EcoATM says it has resale value, or have the amount donated to charity. If the phone has no resale value, you can simply have it recycled.

With so many options and incentives becoming available on the high street, there is no reason to think that just because a WEEE item small, it isn’t convenient to recycle…

To read more about Sainsbury’s recycling points, click here:
http://www.internationalsupermarketnews.com/index.php/the-news/2141-sainsburys-recycling-scheme-for-batteries-and-bulbs

Read more about the M&S Christmas incentive.

To find out more about EcoATM.

If you would like to know more about recycling your company’s ICT in a green and responsible manner, and with an accredited partner, please click here.

Getting together over going green…

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:14:00 +0000

The WEEE directive clearly defines its environmental objectives to companies through legally binding rules and regulations. Which means that it’s not a case of ‘wanting to be more responsible with your WEEE; it’s a matter of ‘you have to be more responsible’. However, there is absolutely no reason why helping your company ‘go green’ shouldn’t be an enjoyable, productive and highly rewarding exercise for everyone involved. After all, it’s a very positive message to spread…

Introducing methods to make your company more environmentally-friendly doesn’t have to be a chore. Far from it. Even the smallest changes can be the catalyst for a more responsible approach to green issues by employees – both in and out of the office. In fact, getting staff involved is one of the most effective ways to make a difference.

For example, introduce a ‘green team’ to investigate and apply environmentally-aware practices. This is a sure way to raise awareness and increase participation among colleagues. A ‘green audit’ is an excellent way to get the ball rolling and identify where you can start to make changes…

Or how about launching a ‘green commute’ scheme? Car-pooling is very sociable – bringing staff from different departments together – it is also economical and good for the environment. With so much currently being discussed by the government about charging for using motorways and driving in big cities, it is also particularly pertinent in the current social and political climate.

You could also introduce a bicycle scheme. Giving employees discounted prices on bicycles, or the option to spread the cost of buying a bicycle over a number of months, is a good incentive to encourage cycling. And it has the added bonus of helping you stay fit and well. Ample places to park and good shower facilities will help get people involved. Introducing a ‘car-free’ day can also make a difference and get employees talking and thinking about the environment.

Ruth Spellman, chief executive at the Chartered Management Institute, said: "70% of managers feel passionate about the role their employer should play in the green revolution but just 26% of organisations actively manage their carbon footprint. It's an area where we're all talk and no action."

Let’s see if we can start to put our money where our mouth is!

To read more, see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/ford-econetic/everybodys-business

For advice and consultancy on recycling your ICT, see: http://ecycle.remploy.co.uk/greenitsolutions/managedservices.ashx

Size matters!

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:53:00 +0000

When it comes to WEEE, there is no doubt at all that size matters. Why? Well the current perception among us is that only the larger items (televisions, fridges and microwaves etc.) are what we need to be concerned about. But that isn’t the case at all…

You can see how easy it is to think that it’s just the bigger electrical items we have in our lives that need to carefully recycled. They are the ones that take up the most space and we can’t simply ‘throw in the bin’ or ‘chuck in a black bag’. In fact, when it comes to getting rid of our old, large WEEE equipment we are potentially faced with a bit of a headache. We need to consider contacting the local authority or taking them to a refuse site or charity chop. Which is not necessarily a problem, but it certainly means more effort than popping out to the dustbin in the back garden.

And this is causing a major problem.

Unless the UK increases its efforts to recycle small electric waste and electronic equipment (mobile phones, radios, remote controls etc.) then we will fall a long way short of the recycling goals outlined by the European Union Directive. And that is not good news.

So what can be done?

In a nutshell, it’s all down to awareness and information. The government needs to turn up the volume on its advertising campaigns and remind people that the bulk of their household items can be recycled. They also need to inform people how and why it should be done.

If they do that then the objectives can be met. If they don’t, then it will be time to face the music. And nobody wants that.

Where do we bin the box?

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:00:00 +0000

2012 is almost here, and the big switchover from analogue television signals to digital services is well and truly upon us. But with the majority of us choosing to upgrade our TV sets, what will happen to the masses of old and outdated equipment? Are we set for a landfill explosion? And where do the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations come into the equation?

Of course, it isn’t imperative that we throw out our old sets, there is the option of buying a Freeview digibox, which will convert existing televisions to receive digital broadcasts. But with new technologies offering sleeker designs, smaller footprints and larger screens the temptation to upgrade is more irresistible than ever. When you combine these facts with the additional benefit that new televisions often have Freeview built in, it would appear that there will be a lot of old sets ready for the scrapheap.

When you also consider that the UK creates approximately 1.8 million tonnes of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) each year, you can see why it is more important than ever to think very carefully about what we are going to do with the TVs we no longer want or need.

In Wales, the Environment Agency, which started its digital switchover on August 12th 2009, is quite clear that landfill is an unsustainable solution for discarding our waste. The agency has confirmed that the disposal of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions comes under the requirements of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.

So what do we do?

Well, thankfully there are a few options:

Ask the retailer where you purchased your equipment if they will take your equipment back, or arrange for the retailer who delivers you new equipment to take away your old appliances.  Remember that retailers, known as distributors in the UK WEEE regulations, of household electrical or electronic equipment (EEE) are legally obliged to ensure that WEEE from private households can be returned for recycling. 
Take your old equipment to a local civic amenity site, or arrange for your Local Authority to collect larger appliances (bear in mind that some Local Authorities provide a free collection service and others charge). 
Unfortunately, Local Authorities have no direct legal obligations under the WEEE Regulations to recycle your electrical waste, but they are incentivised by the Government to help, so it is worth checking out what your options are.

Another couple of things worth bearing in mind are that second-hand electrical and electronic equipment that is in good working order is not classified as waste and can be donated or sold to other organisations such as charities. However, broken electrical and electronic equipment that cannot be reused is classified as waste.

If you know the facts and what resources and options are available to you, there is every chance that the current 1.8 million tonnes of WEEE we produce each year won’t balloon in the lead up to 2012.

But as always, knowledge is power…

More information on your local area's facilities can be found by contacting your local council's Waste and Recycling departments directly.

The full public list of all the approved authorised treatment facilities (AATFs) in the UK for WEEE can be found on the Environment Agency's website:  http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/waste/32086.aspx

The Environment Agency has also created a useful document called ‘What do the WEEE Regulations mean for householders?’ which can be found at: http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0507BMOM-e-e.pdf

For more information on the implications of the digital switchover, visit http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/localgov/council_services/environment_and_planning

How green is the government?

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:01:00 +0000

With the government making clear the WEEE regulations that companies must adhere to, it’s only right that when it comes to their own ways of doing business they lead by example. And with savings of at least £7 million made over the last year, that’s exactly what they’re doing…

Up to 20 per cent of the carbon emissions created by Government offices is due to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It produces around 460,000 tonnes a year, which is the same amount generated by a million households in a month, or a jumbo jet flying around the world over a thousand times.

So exactly how has the UK Government managed to achieve such substantial savings in expenditure simply by going green?

Well the changes have been surprisingly simple, but undoubtedly effective.

The alterations made have included extending the life of PCs, making double-sided printing the default option and ensuring that IT equipment is turned off at night. These changes have helped to reduce the Government’s carbon footprint by 12,000 tonnes. Incredibly, that’s the equivalent to taking 5,000 cars off the road.

Speaking at a recent conference in London, Cabinet Office Minister Angela Smith said:

“Information technology is one of the hidden causes of climate change – worldwide, computers are responsible for the same amount of carbon emissions as the airline industry, but few people are taking action to improve the situation.
“A year ago the British Government became the first in the world to set tough targets to tackle the huge environmental and financial costs of computer use and I’m delighted to see the real progress that has been made. In just 12 months we’ve saved enough carbon dioxide to fill almost 2,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
“All departments have risen to the challenge of cutting their IT carbon footprints and countries from around the world are now looking to us for advice on how to follow our lead. But it’s not just about the Government. I hope that private companies and individuals will also recognise the savings that can be made and get on board.”

Due to the new internal policies, the Government can claim several impressive success stories, including:

The Department for International Development (DfID) donating old equipment to charities in developing countries.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) saving £2.35million by replacing 9,500 computers and 2,500 printers every five years rather than every three.
The Home Office (HO) saving £2.4million a year by removing unused IT equipment and improving efficiency.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will save 200 million sheets of paper a year through cutting down the number of printers in the department and changing the default setting to double-sided printing.

It really is a case of hats off to the UK Government because they are currently the only Government putting in place the processes required to seriously address environmental issues.

Speaking at a conference in Denmark last month, the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) secretary general Angel Gurria described the Green ICT Scorecard, launched by the UK Government last year, as “the one very rare exception” to the general lack of targets and measures in this area.

We can be proud that UK central Government is leading the way in showing how to decrease carbon footprint.

Now it’s time for the rest of the world to follow suit!

We’re watching and waiting…

To find out more about the Cabinet Office's Greening Government ICT, click here.
Find our more about how to donate your ICT equipment to benefit others.
Find out how to redeploy your ICT equipment.

Is your company’s carbon footprint one step ahead of the rest?

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:09:00 +0000

What better way to prompt businesses into looking at their carbon footprint than through a bit of healthy competition?

If you think that when it comes to recycling and saving energy your office is as green as a bean then this is the challenge for you!

A nationwide contest has just been announced by Cartridge World to find the office that can most effectively demonstrate its ‘green’ credentials through environmentally-friendly and energy saving policies and procedures.

Companies of any shape or size based in the UK can enter and the winner will be officially awarded with the prestigious title of ‘The UK’s Greenest Office’.

Just imagine what a great morale boost it would be to your business if you win, not to mention the fact that your customers and suppliers will also be highly impressed. There is even the option of using the accreditation on your company literature and advertising.

The competition is completely free to enter and admission is split into six regional categories.

The winner from each geographical area will progress to the final shortlist, from where an overall winner will be announced. The fantastic regional and national prizes include devices such as laptops, digital cameras and colour printers – so in addition to the kudos of being the greenest office in the UK, you will also win some great tangible rewards.

You can also put forward other offices that have impressed you with their green credentials.

Everyone who nominates a company will go into a draw to win £300 worth of Center Parcs vouchers, and a Ricoh R50 10 megapixel camera. They will also receive a 25% off voucher, which can be used at Cartridge World. So what are you waiting for?

Incentives like this are clearly a brilliant way to get both employers and employees to look even more closely at the impact they are having on the environment. So if you already think that you are doing your fair share of recycling then maybe it’s time to up the game and take on this carbon footprint challenge?

Have you and your colleagues got what it takes to be the King and Queen of Green?
It’s time to find out…

To find out more about the competition, click here: http://bit.ly/A82L3
To read more about the ways you can recycle office equipment, click here: http://bit.ly/2LhOsR

Green IT solutions don’t just affect the health of the environment.  They also directly affect the health of your business!

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:09:00 +0000

One of the major challenges for the Environment Agency concerning the current WEEE directive is making sure the messages about e-waste are being heard, understood and that companies are taking their responsibilities seriously. But soon, the incentive for businesses to comply with the EU regulations on e-waste won’t just be because of fear of official action against them; it will be because it makes very solid commercial sense.

A recent video debate – ‘Green IT: Recycling Versus Reuse’ – hosted by the British Computer Society identified that if you are involved in the planning of your company’s long term IT strategy then including environmentally-friendly solutions is the only way forward. Not just because of WEEE regulations and your legal requirements, but because it will be a matter of ensuring you survive in the current marketplace.

Technologies such as cloud computing and thin client, along with computer resources being perceived as ‘commodities’ on the company spreadsheet, mean that companies with the lowest costs and most efficient systems will be the ones that live to tell the tale.

Kate Craig-Wood, managing director of green hosting company Memset, and a member of the BCS Data Centre Specialist Group, said: “Everything is being pushed back to the data centre, and in that market the people with the lowest costs will win and the people with the lowest cost will be the people who use their equipment most efficiently. Commoditisation is being driven by the efficient companies, and those who are inefficient will die, especially in the current climate.”

And, of course, the beauty of these systems and the methods of thinking that surround their implementation are that they lay the foundations for a very green way of doing business – particularly in terms of recycling old machines. In other words, companies will be ideally placed to donate their equipment to organisations operating in the developing world. This is not only more environmentally-friendly than breaking down old machines and shredding them – it is also more socially responsible.

Anja French, director of marketing and communications at Computer Aid International, a charity that provides refurbished computers for use in education, health and agriculture in developing countries, said: “There is such a massive demand in Africa and South America from schools and hospitals for equipment while we in the UK are getting rid of millions of computers every year and only a tiny minority is being responsibly reused. We would like to see the Government create more incentives for companies to ‘re-use’ their equipment in this way.”

So, will the Environment Agency start to introduce targets and incentives to promote the energy efficient idea of businesses giving old equipment to charities and benevolent organisations?

With more and more companies set to recycle their old machines, let’s hope they’re reading…

To discover more about the BCS debate, click here: http://bit.ly/18X2hH

Spreading the word about waste.

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:47:00 +0000

Up and down the land, the message about recycling is clearly being spread far and wide! Which has to be great news…

West Midland companies are being invited to free seminars, hosted by the Environment Agency, where they can learn all of the essential facts about WEEE regulations.

The seminars are taking place at Birmingham City Centre Crowne Plaza on October 1 and Worcester White House on October 8. The Environment Agency is also hosting 20-minute clinic sessions after the seminars.

Over in Hampshire, local authorities have been the first to sign up to a service for recycling electrical waste. The objective is to obtain and recycle up to 200 tonnes of old computers, televisions and mobile phones from the area over 12 months.

This might sound ambitious, but it is a superb way for the local government to make clear its intentions – and seriousness – about environmental issues.   48,000 households will receive a leaflet detailing the service, which will collect WEEE on a quarterly basis from bags left outside residents´ properties.

The scheme begins in October 2009.

Finally, companies in Dorset will be able to recycle any waste electrical and electronic equipment through a new scheme in the area.

Businesses will be able to place any WEEE items they want collecting into large bags, which will be picked up the next day and recycled in accordance with WEEE regulations.

It’s clear that green issues are heading towards the top of the agenda, and that’s great news for the environment – and for us all!

To find out more about the FREE seminars on electrical waste in the West Midlands, click here

Minimum environmental damage. Maximum IT efficiency.

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:46:00 +0000

If you are an IT Manager, or your remit includes the procurement of hardware, it is easy to think that by ‘going green’ you might have to compromise on the efficiency, effectiveness and perhaps even security of your enterprise-wide computer systems, software and business processes.

But the opposite is true, as long as you work with the right partners and implement the right technologies.

Solutions such as cloud computing (which removes the requirement for a central storage point or infrastructure by using a network ‘cloud’ of servers to share data) and thin client (which uses simplified ‘dumb terminals’ to access data held on a centralised server) both deliver substantial financial and environmental benefits through their capacity to share, and therefore minimise, the demand on resources.

From a security point-of-view, it can also be argued that cloud computing and thin client are more secure than holding information on local hard drives, due to the remote storage of the data. However, in the face of evolving technologies – whether they are eco-friendly or not – what is undeniable is the fact that huge amounts of IT hardware are replaced each and every year across all industry sectors. And that means potential damage to the environment; it also means there is a risk to the security of your company’s data – unless your old systems are properly recycled.

Companies such as Remploy e-cycle – which specialises in helping organisations in the UK recycle computers and electronic waste – are already enhancing their capacity in anticipation of the rise in hardware used for cloud computing and thin client services. The company operates the highest data destruction standards in the world and redistributes or recycles every single component of the equipment it processes. Their procedures also offer significant cost-savings along the way.

With the EU's WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) legislation now restricting the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electric equipment, and governing the issues of IT recycling, businesses need to look very carefully at how their systems are cleaned of data and redeployed.

Improve your company’s business practices and help the environment… It’s the ultimate win/win situation.

Find out more about Remploy e-cycle.

Read more about cloud computing and thin client in the context of recycling

Read more about the EU’s WEEE legislation.

Who must have responsibility for recycling our must have gadgets?

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:19:00 +0000

More features, more power, smaller, lighter, faster… technology marches forward at a relentless pace when it comes to mobile phones. And that means today’s must have gadgets are potentially tomorrow’s landfill. Unless they are recycled properly.

But how much responsibility must the manufacturers take in terms of how they market the lifespan, and consumer recycling options, of their mobile devices? Or is it solely the duty of the customer to make sure they dispose of the their old phones conscientiously?

When mobile phones first came to market in the 1980’s they were only available if you had them installed into your car. The technology was analogue and plagued by static and noise interference. Shortly afterwards they became marginally more portable. But they were still the size of briefcases.

This is clearly not the situation any more.

Musicphones, cameraphones, smartphones – there is a plethora of different phones available and what was a high-end smartphone five years ago, is a standard phone today. That is how fast the technological landscape is changing.

The key factor is that advertising now plays such a powerful role in affecting consumer choice. Modern phones are packaged as lifestyle accessories – which means they are increasingly disposable. Instead of simple serial numbers, they now have unique brands, tags and logos. Each new phone is the next big thing. Until, of course, the new next big thing hits the shops.

The major manufacturers all have environmental policies and underline their corporate responsibilities by employing various take-back programmes. But just how visible are they? And do buyers really understand the importance of disposing of their old phones correctly?

At the moment, the focus is on the end users to discover how to recycle their phones, but perhaps it’s time the manufacturers made their marketing messages about recycling far more dominant? In fact, why shouldn’t high-profile advertising campaigns outlining green credentials and recycling programmes become major parts of their marketing spend? After all, in terms of brand perception, they are powerful and positive marketing messages.

In a world where companies strive for a unique footprint in the marketplace, are the phone manufacturers missing a trick by not emphasising their commitment to the environment?

Or is a larger touch screen display more important than a larger display of environmental concern?

To find out more about recycling your old phones:
http://www.technology-toolkit.com/computers-and-technology/how-to-dispose-of-mobile-phones

Doing your bit for the environment in a way you may not have thought of…

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Electrical and electronic waste is the fastest growing area of waste in the UK. There are around 1.8 million tonnes generated every year. So it’s really no wonder that recycling is becoming increasingly more important for businesses. And for certain companies it is not only a corporate nicety – but also a legal necessity.

By how about on a more personal level? Beyond the obvious methods that we can help the environment by recycling and disposing of our old computers and phones responsibly, the Environment Agency is asking for your assistance in other ways.

Specifically, they are appealing to the public to keep an eye out for illegal activity and to report WEEE criminals.

The body wants to prevent people attempting to collect WEEE and send it abroad to be recycled in countries where regulations are more lax. A practice that clearly has the potential to harm the environment.

Trevor Parish, Intelligence Manager for the Environment Agency, said:

"We are appealing to industry and the public to report those who are involved in illegally exporting WEEE. Any information we receive will be treated in the strictest confidence."

The question is, are you happy to let your morals dictate your actions when it comes to reporting what could well be unlawful – not to mention environmentally damaging – activity?

With ten arrests already made by the organisation, it would seem the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’.

Anyone with information regarding the illegal export of waste is asked to contact: weee.exports@environment-agency.gov.uk

To find out about how Remploy can help recycle electronic waste:
http://ecycle.remploy.co.uk/greenitsolutions/compliantitrecyclinganddisposal/environmentalbenefits.ashx

To read about the Environment Agency’s recent action in stopping the suspected illegal export of electrical waste from the UK:
http://snipurl.com/rea2g

e-Learning teaches prisoners to dismantle WEEE

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:11:00 +0000

It is always inspiring when you find a story that demonstrates innovative solutions to multiple or complex problems.

A company called Learning Light has produced an e-Learning package which may be used in helping prisoners with inadequate schooling or skills, to develop their knowledge of waste electronic and electrical equipment recycling.

Although the courseware covers essential skills such as taking redundant equipment to pieces and sorting the recyclable materials, some of the most important aspects of the training include:

learning 'how to learn'
the regulations surrounding the WEEE Directive
the environmental impact of e-Waste

Gillian Broadhead, Learning Light's head of networking development, had the following to say:

"We had to take the WEEE Directive, put it in the context of the work they were learning to do, telling them why they were doing it and about the environment and about recognising different components in the waste they were receiving."

"We moved one step further by aligning the learning to a National Vocational Qualification, approved by the Waste Management Training and Advisory Board (WAMITAB)."

"We've done something that is quite unique – taking a regulation which is quite complex and seen as a burden, mapping it to an NVQ and contextualising it as an e-learning package."

"We developed two pilots, held trials in prisons and they loved it. They'd not experienced anything like it before and it hit the mark – instructional but nothing too complex and we can keep it up to date."

More information and contact details can be found here

E-wasteland photographic essay by Sophie Gerrard

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:49:00 +0000

Just found an interesting photographic gallery of e-Waste here.

Sophie Gerrard works as a freelance documentary photographer in London specialising in environmental and social issues. In 2007 her series "E-wasteland" won a Jerwood Photography Award and was selected as a UK winner by The Magenta Foundation. Sophie's work has been exhibited at Flowers East in London and with The Photographers' Gallery at Paris Photo, Sophie is currently represented by The Photographers' Gallery in London.

Transport and logistic security essential for safe data disposal

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:55:00 +0000

While some companies understand the importance of ensuring secure data destruction for old computers and other waste electronic equipment, some fail to understand the risks or take appropriate precautions while the hardware is in transit or storage.

In recent times, Northrop Grumman were embarrassed when students from British Columbia University were able to buy a hard drive at a open-air market in Ghana. Northrop Grumman made the following statement on the matter,

"we believe this hard drive may have been stolen after one of our asset-disposal vendors took possession of the unit."

Apparently the information on the drive included past and present government contracts, along with a $1.2 billion missed opportunity with the Transport Security Administration.

Ironically, it is transport security that seems to be 'out of mind' for some IT procurement and IT managers.

When looking for an enterprise recycling partner, be careful to find out about their ISO accreditation. Also look at their end-to-end asset tracking process, and lastly find out as much as you can about the physical security of their premises, vehicles, processes, and staff.

I would personally be looking for a company where all the staff handling your equipment are security cleared and have no criminal record... for a start.

Smashing your hard drive will not protect sensitive data

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:57:00 +0000

When Which? Computing Magazine wrote an article instructing readers that smashing a hard drive with a hammer is an effective measure against data thieves, they likely had good intentions.

Which? Computing advises a non-technological solution to the problem: if you want to be absolutely sure your files are deleted, remove the hard drive from your PC and destroy it with a hammer! - 08 January 2009

The simple facts are that this is NOT a satisfactory means of protecting your sensitive data. The only way to be certain that data is unrecoverable, is to dispose of your used computers through a credible e-cycling facility or asset management outlet. They will in the first instance use specialist software that adheres to UK and US government security standards, to permanently 'blank' the drive. This is a much more thorough and permanent process than the simple 'format' or 'erase' options from within the operating system of your computer.

If a drive cannot be processed by such software (perhaps the mechanism is broken beyond repair), then it does indeed need to be destroyed - although not with a hammer as suggested by Which? Computing, but instead ground into fine powder with dedicated destruction machinery. One worker at Remploy e-cycle explains the approach in this video about reprocessing on YouTube.

Whether an individual, or a large enterprise organisation, the data that resides on the hard drives of old computers CAN be reconstructed and used if not appropriately and responsibly disposed of; in corporate espionage, identity theft, and in revealing sensitive information which may breach due diligence or data compliance laws.

Malcolm Watson further explains the issues in a guest article for the British Computer Society. You can read more about his recommendations for data security and data disposal.

How NOT to recycle electronic waste

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:52:00 +0000

I just stumbled on this video created by Asia Society. It is very much focused on the export of e-Waste from the US to places like China, Ghana, etc.

However, the imagery is still very compelling if you are a business or government department in the United Kingdom, when you consider the lack of data security and the toxic processes used by these developing nations. I find it particularly poignant in contrast to the approach of an organisation like Remploy e-cycle (See a comparison video How to recycle e-Waste correctly)

So here is the video from Michael Zhao of the Center on US-China Relations at Asia Society...

Public awareness is an issue in the UK WEEE industry

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:42:00 +0000

I've just been reading the ERP UK WEEE and Batteries Survey 2009.

It seems that nearly three quarters of the WEEE industry believe poor public awareness will continue to be a significant challenge in the year ahead.

44 organisations (38% of survey respondents), describe themselves as a local authority or partner waste management company. Generally those surveyed felt that the UK WEEE system had performed well over the past year, although 86.3% indicated that low public awareness of WEEE had been a challenge.

Unsurprisingly, material prices and demand for items such as steel, copper, plastic, CRT glass etc. was a contributing factor to economic turbulence issues.

68 organisations expressed their concern about new guidance and/or regulations from the Government or Environment Agency, which may affect the year ahead.

A slight majority indicated that they would be keen to see nationwide battery collections starting in the UK as soon as possible, while the rest were largely fine with the current expected date of 1 January 2010.

If you were not a participant in the survey, please do share your thoughts or concerns about the year ahead for the WEEE industry in the UK.

UK may need to triple e-Waste collection by 2012

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:02:00 +0000

The European Commission has proposed revisions to the WEEE Directive, which could mean that the United Kingdom will have to increase electronic waste collections three-fold on the levels of 2008.

Most EU member states are currently required to collect 4kg per capita, although last year the UK was collecting nearly double that amount. The new proposal would mean that in the UK the target collection would be 22kg per captita, to be achieved by 2012.

It is unlikely that the draft revisions will be confirmed until 2010, which means that the UK will have approximately one and a half years thereafter to bring about the transformation.

The UK Department for Business, Information, & Skills released a consultation in April 2009, with responses so far indicating some uncertainty about the role of member states in relation to producers and their 'collection cost' obligations.

More information:

e-cycle IT equipment reprocessing video

noreply@blogger.com (e-Waste UK) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:20:00 +0000

OK, so I know this is a shameless self-plug post, but honestly, I just wanted to test out how to post an article with a YouTube video. This is the only video I have on YouTube.

Anyway, it is some of the staff at Remploy e-cycle talking about data security and electronic waste disposal. Enjoy! Do leave some comments below, if you wish.