The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive
of the European Commission became law in the UK on 2nd January. It
was originally intended to be transposed into all European laws by
August 2004 but was delayed several times.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006
take immediate effect, but state that suppliers do not have to take
full responsibility for the disposal of goods until 1st July this
year.
The law forces manufacturers to recycle and dispose of used
equipment in an attempt to stem the harm that is caused by the
dumping of used technological materials.
With a high rate of turnover of machines as businesses attempt
to keep up with a constant upgrade cycle, the Directive could make
a major impact on the environmental impact of using hardware.
The Directive could also push up hardware prices, though, as
manufacturers seek to recover the costs of recycling and
environmental disposal on such a massive industrial scale.
The Directive could also have implications for users of
equipment. Though penalties are attached to suppliers of hardware,
their users share some of the responsibility for equipment
disposal. A recent survey found that almost 75% of IT staff were
unaware of their own duties under WEEE.
There is no definitive list of exactly what equipment is
affected by the Directive. The DTI says that it cannot issue a
list, and that only the European Court of Justice can provide
definitive rulings on exactly what equipment is covered. Those are:
large household appliances; small household appliances; IT &
telecommunications equipment; consumer equipment; lighting
equipment; electrical and electronic tools; toys, leisure and
sports equipment; medical devices; monitoring and control
instruments, and automatic dispensers.
Manufacturers are now tied to a strict timetable. They must join
a producer compliance scheme by March of this year, and must fully
comply with all rules by April if they are handling hazardous WEEE.
Others must obey all disposal rules by July.
One research consultancy, Gartner, has estimated that the new
law could eventually add up to £60 to the price of computers as
manufacturers recover the extra costs from users.
