An EU directive on the disposal of old computer hardware
will become part of UK law in 2004, but many IT departments are
ignorant of the business implications.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive
quietly passed into European law earlier this year and will become
law in the UK by August 2004. It requires IT suppliers and users to
dispose of electrical equipment in an environmentally friendly way
and encourages the recycling of materials and refurbishing old
kit.
From 2005, IT suppliers will be responsible for collecting and
safely disposing of IT and telecoms equipment they have sold.
However, IT departments also need to make sure their old kit is
disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner or risk being
fined.
Unfortunately, awareness of the directive in the UK is still
limited and IT departments could be caught out unless they redouble
their efforts to prepare for and comply with it. A recent survey by
European waste disposal giant Sita found that 81% of UK companies
had not heard of the directive and only 4% were familiar with
it.
Upgrade cycles
Hugh Peltor, director at Intellect, an association that represents
the IT, telecoms and electronics industries, warned that IT leaders
need to know the directive thoroughly and factor it into their
upgrade cycles.
"IT managers and IT directors need to get their act together," he
said. "An IT manager with any sort of bulk purchase can pass the
problem on to their supplier - otherwise they will have to pay for
kit to be taken away and recycled."
Although many IT managers already have programmes in place to deal
with old kit, Peltor said the difference now is that they need to
ensure that the kit is safely disposed of and does not turn up in a
tip somewhere.
A key problem is the disposal of "historic" waste, which under the
directive means anything produced before 2005. Although the WEEE
rules largely place the burden of collecting and recycling or
safely disposing of IT equipment on IT suppliers, there are issues
about the disposal of historical waste and financing that affect IT
departments.
Pete Kenyon, a solicitor in the technology and commerce group at
law firm Boyes Turner, said the burden of financing will rest with
businesses until 2005 - only after that will it rest with
producers.
Users fear the costs of greener manufacturing techniques and
recycling programmes will ultimately be passed on to them. Phil
Reakes, managing director at recycling firm Selway Moore, said this
would be inevitable.
Peltor urged the government to do more to shoulder the burden,
support the IT industry and help to set up the infrastructure
needed to support recycling.
Further rules
The impact of the WEEE Directive will be compounded by the
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (ROHS) Directive. This states that, from 1 July 2006,
electrical and electronic equipment on the market must not contain
certain materials, including lead, mercury and cadmium. This will
require the introduction of new materials, such as lead-free
solder.
"IT managers need a policy - they need something in place so they
are seen to be conforming with the directive," said Reakes, who
pointed out that IT directors should also be aware of their duties
under other UK legislation, such as the Data Protection Act, when
disposing of old kit.
The current lack of clarity and transparency in the WEEE directive
is also a key concern among suppliers, who fear it will be
interpreted differently in each member state. This could force them
to implement multiple programmes, resulting in increased prices for
customers.
Dell, for example, which recently launched a recycling initiative
aimed at consumers in the US, has no formal offerings in Europe. A
Dell spokesman stressed that it will look at improving offerings
aimed at the commercial space in Europe but it is waiting until the
WEEE Directive becomes clearer. "The variable in Europe is the WEEE
Directive - some points are still unclear, like the collection of
historical waste, and there may be variables from country to
country," he said.
But it is not all doom and gloom. Earlier this month Intellect and
the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances
met other industry bodies to look at ways of carrying out the WEEE
rules in the UK.
The Department of Trade & Industry is working with the IT
industry on the current government consultation about the WEEE
Directive and aims to raise awareness of it. The current
consultation period will end this month but another is planned for
the autumn. "We are keeping the IT sector in the loop - IT managers
and IT directors need to be aware of these directives because they
will affect the whole IT supply chain," said a DTI spokesman.
The DTI welcomes the involvement of IT departments in its WEEE and
ROHS consultation process, he said.
Reakes also emphasised the importance of IT chiefs making their
voices heard. "IT directors should take a lead and then they can
also make sure that they influence policy when it is implemented,"
he said.
Pete Kenyon, a solicitor in the technology and commerce group at
law firm Boyes Turner, said the burden of financing will rest with
businesses until 2005 - only after that will it rest with
producers.
Users fear the costs of greener manufacturing techniques and
recycling programmes will ultimately be passed on to them. Phil
Reakes, managing director at recycling firm Selway Moore, said this
would be inevitable.
Peltor urged the government to do more to shoulder the burden,
support the IT industry and help to set up the infrastructure
needed to support recycling.
Further rules
The impact of the WEEE Directive will be compounded by the
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (ROHS) Directive. This states that, from 1 July 2006,
electrical and electronic equipment on the market must not contain
certain materials, including lead, mercury and cadmium. This will
require the introduction of new materials, such as lead-free
solder.
"IT managers need a policy - they need something in place so they
are seen to be conforming with the directive," said Reakes, who
pointed out that IT directors should also be aware of their duties
under other UK legislation, such as the Data Protection Act, when
disposing of old kit.
The current lack of clarity and transparency in the WEEE directive
is also a key concern among suppliers, who fear it will be
interpreted differently in each member state. This could force them
to implement multiple programmes, resulting in increased prices for
customers.
Dell, for example, which recently launched a recycling initiative
aimed at consumers in the US, has no formal offerings in Europe. A
Dell spokesman stressed that it will look at improving offerings
aimed at the commercial space in Europe but it is waiting until the
WEEE Directive becomes clearer. "The variable in Europe is the WEEE
Directive - some points are still unclear, like the collection of
historical waste, and there may be variables from country to
country," he said.
But it is not all doom and gloom. Earlier this month Intellect and
the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances
met other industry bodies to look at ways of carrying out the WEEE
rules in the UK.
The Department of Trade & Industry is working with the IT
industry on the current government consultation about the WEEE
Directive and aims to raise awareness of it. The current
consultation period will end this month but another is planned for
the autumn. "We are keeping the IT sector in the loop - IT managers
and IT directors need to be aware of these directives because they
will affect the whole IT supply chain," said a DTI spokesman.
The DTI welcomes the involvement of IT departments in its WEEE and
ROHS consultation process, he said.
Reakes also emphasised the importance of IT chiefs making their
voices heard. "IT directors should take a lead and then they can
also make sure that they influence policy when it is implemented,"
he said.
More on the WEEE
Directive
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs/legislation/380525/473094
Tips for safely disposing of old hardware
- Upgrade old kit or sell it to a specialist firm that can
refurbish it and sell it on
- Find out whether your supplier has an IT disposal policy to
comply with the WEEE Directive
- Set up employee purchase schemes for old hardware
- Large companies should consider outsourcing the disposal
function to an IT services firm
- Consider buying refurbished equipment, which can save money -
but make sure it comes with a warranty
- Donate old PCs to charities such as Computer Aid International
which, for a small fee, will collect them. CAI sends refurbished
PCs to not-for-profit organisations worldwide and unusable kit to
its recycling partner, Silver Lining, which strips the 95% of parts
that can be recycled and disposes of the rest. It also wipes data
from the machines free of charge.
www.computer-aid.org