On the 12th December 2006 the (WEEE) Regulations were laid before Parliament and came into force on the 2nd January 2007. The act aims to reduce the amount of WEEE being disposed of in landfills by promoting separate collection, treatment and recycling by specialist organisations. WEEE is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the UK with some equipment containing hazardous substances and parts of mercury, lead in solder, and cadmium in batteries.
So how does this affect the Telecommunication & IT industry? Any business that manufactures, brands or imports electrical or electronic equipment (EEE) is known as a “producer” and will produce waste, so has obligations and responsibilities including the collection and treatment of the EEE. Companies must store, treat, recycle and dispose of WEEE separately from other waste and prove that it was treated and disposed of in an environmentally sound way.
Full take-back, treatment and re-cycling systems do not have to be in place until WEEE Day - July 2007, but there is a lot to be done between now and then. If your company manufactures electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), you will need to join a Producer Compliance Scheme that has been approved by one of the environment agencies.