Environment and Computer Recycling - Benefits of Recycling Hardware

With the adoption of the WEEE directives by the EU, the disposal of redundant IT and computer equipment has become an issue for all businesses in the UK. The protection of the environment is the aim of the directive, as it feels that the benefits of recycling of computer hardware will far outweigh the extra costs involved.

The list of equipment (computer hardware recycling is only one area)that must be properly disposed of is quite extensive and thus, as with many other areas of business, it is best to get an expert agency to assist and ensure compliance with the WEEE directive (and thus the avoidance of any fines).

Enviro, benefiting from the experience of Recycleit4U, can:-

• Show you the benefits of recycling computer hardware
• Help you to protect the environment and dispose of your computers
• Securely Dispose all Electronic Data on your computers

Details of the "Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment" (WEEE) Directive:-

The Commission of the European Communities proposed a Directive (in June 2000) on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) that is designed to protect soil, water and air from pollution caused by management of WEEE, to avoid the generation of waste and to reduce the harmfulness of WEEE. Further objectives are to preserve resources, especially energy and to create harmonisation of national measures across member states.

The main devices which are identified, as potentially dangerous, in electrical and electronic equipment include printed circuit boards, cables, wires, plastics containing flame retardants, mercury switches, displays (eg cathode ray tubes), batteries, data storage media, light generators (eg lamps), capacitors, resistors, relays, sensors and connectors (mobile phones contain many of the above components). The substances within these devices which cause most concern environmentally are the heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium, halogenated substances (eg CFCs), polychlorinated biphenyls ( aka PCBs, not to be confused with printed circuit boards), PVC and brominated flame retardants (which can give rise to extremely toxic dioxins such as PBDDs and furans such as PBDFs when incinerated). Other components which are mentioned are arsenic, asbestos, nickel and even copper (which can act as a catalyst to increase the formation of dioxins during incineration).