Why WEEE have no excuse
As the waste electrical and electrical equipment directive is set to be delayed again, firms have time to comply.
The
waste electrical and electrical equipment (WEEE) directive, adopted by
the European Union (EU) is still being hotly debated in the UK. The
directive, which aims to prevent too much electrical waste and promote
recycling, is a huge priority for the government because of the
potential hazardousness of WEEE waste.The government is committed to
implementing this directive in such a way that the environmental
benefits are maximised, but with minimal cost to business.A key part of
this directive is the introduction of producer responsibility for WEEE.
Producers will have to finance the treatment and the recycling or
recovery of collected WEEE items, which includes household appliances
and consumer equipment. The EU set a deadline for member states to
ensure that producers were allowed to set up and operate individual or
collective take-back systems. However, the timetable for the practical
implementation of these obligations is not likely to be introduced
until 1 January 2007 in the UK, some two years later than expected.A
common complaint among companies is that they don’t have enough
information about this directive because of the lack of transparency of
the EU and EU law. However, one advantage of the delay in
implementation is that organisations have time to do some research and
put a comprehensive programme into place.Many responsible manufacturers
are ahead of the game and have already put into practice their own
environmental initiatives. At least 250 million printer cartridges are
thrown away every year, ending up in landfill and incinerator
facilities for electronic waste. The key is to both educate and offer
incentives, because not enough people know about the problem, or indeed
how or why to remedy it.No organisation can afford to be complacent
because all forms of office equipment quickly become redundant.
Companies need to think carefully about their social responsibilities
and take environmental issues seriously. By recycling inkjet
cartridges, every person in the UK can help not only a global issue,
but also raise money for UK-based charities. And as the timetable for
the implementation of WEEE gets closer, we have no excuses not to be
prepared and ensure our customers comply.