Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive came into force from 1^st July 2007. The legislation aims to minimise the impact of electrical and electronic equipment on the environment, both during the products' lifetime and when they become waste. It sets criteria for the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment.

This means that if you are discarding IT equipment and not replacing it, it is your legal obligation to arrange for its environmentally approved disposal with an approved waste management firm, and to keep the relevant paperwork to prove your actions.

Any company that wants to get rid of more than 200kg (or approximately 15 CRT monitors) now has a legal obligation to ensure redundant electronic equipment is disposed of in line with the new legislation.

Under the WEEE legislation you have three choices for disposal.

• If the equipment was purchased on or after 13 August 2005, the manufacturers are responsible for the financing of its collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal at the end of its life.
• If you are purchasing new equipment to replace like-for-like kit, you should arrange for the producer of the new equipment to collect and dispose of the old equipment.
• If you are discarding old equipment without making a like-for-like new purchase, you will need to finance the cost of its disposal yourself.

If you are unsure please contact us and we can advise you about your options. You may wish to consider the services of Recycle IT Right.