How Green Is Your Office?
Are you familiar with EU legislation concerning disposal of old IT equipment and hazardous goods? It affects us all.
Are You Compliant?
Added 16th June 2008
Did you know that there are strict rules governing how you should dispose of your old IT hardware? You can no longer just dispose of it at the local recycling centre. You also have a duty (and it makes very good commercial sense) to ensure that all data you have created is destroyed before you dispose of the equipment otherwise you run the risk of theft of commercial data and identity theft.
When your computer needs replacing what do you do with it? It may only be a few years old but its is still a liability. If you can sell it, well done, but more often than not it gets left in the corner before it goes to scrap.
What about confidential info stored on the hard disc (even though you are convinced it's deleted)? If the information includes data on individuals, where do you stand with regard to the Data Protection Act? You have a duty under the law to make sure such data does not get to unauthorised third parties. Hanging on to it is not the answer either. Casual storage of old computers, monitors and related equipment can create potential hazards. Apart from that they take up valuable space, what a hassle when you come to move.
The EU has decided that electrical and electronic waste poses such a potential danger that they have issued directives aimed at reducing the amount of toxic materials used in manufacture and controlling the way in which the waste is eventually disposed of.
Waste Electronic & Electrical Equipment (W.E.E.E.):
The waste stream of electrical and electronic equipment has been identified as one of the fastest growing waste streams in the European Union constituting 4% of the municipal waste today and increasing by 16-28% every five years. It is one of the largest sources of heavy metals and organic pollutants in municipal waste
The European Commission has adopted two policies for the recovery of waste equipment and the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
WEEE - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive
RoHS - Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive
The Directives are designed to tackle the fast increasing waste stream of electrical and electronic equipment and complements European Union measures on landfill and incineration of waste.
We can provide you with a means to dispose of your old hardware in a positive way. So long as the equipment is not completely obsolete, there are plenty of needy organisations who will be glad of it. Give us a call and we will discuss with you the best way to dispose responsibly of all your old equipment. Contact us now.
