So, we had The Millenium Bug Ballyhoo.  And something called “1992″ about exporting to the EU. “Are You Ready For 1992?” ran the banners. What was due to change in 1992? Precisely nothing. And nothing did. But the government took it upon them to choose this pseudo-threat to chivvy manufacturers to consider export markets.

And now “The WEEE Directive”. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. Due to become law in February 2007.

Now, I’m not sneering at this particular initiative.. It’s high time that we stopped slinging circuit boards into landfill and messing up the soil with irremovable and very nasty heavy metals. It’s all the more galling to watch it being done badly and unethically, (but cheaply), whilst ethical operators such as ourselves comply with the guidelines, but lose out to the unscrupulous.  Hopefully this situation will end.  And about time, too…

What concerns me is the tendency of “solution providers” to hype the new EU inititive into something it isn’t, and an issue at which they can launch very expensive consultants. Overcomplication can be a revenue-generation tool:- “It’s very complex, and you need our help to avoid getting into trouble.” Right.

So, at the risk of over-simplification, here’s our overview. We’ve been handling electronic waste, namely used phone systems and old telephones, for around seven years now, and mix with some of the larger players in a small market, debating the issues and bemoaning the abuses, so, hopefully, we at least know “something”. And we’re Licensed Waste Carriers, hence can provide all the proof that old PABX and other phone systems have been correctly recycled, generating all the neccessary Enviroment Agency documentation.

The Idiot’s Guide To WEEE…

- Do You “Make Things”? Manufacturers need to plan to take back their old products at the end of their lives. Not an issue unless you are a manufacturer. Simply, don’t make things that you are not prepared to take back at the end of their lives. A large chunk of the WEEE Directive concerns itself with this.

- Electronic and Electrical Waste is Classes as “Hazardous Waste”:- No, it’s not the same as “glow in the dark” fuel rods from Sellafield:- you just need to pass it on to someone who will transport it for correct disposal, and is licensed to carry it. What is “Electrical and Electronic Waste”? The clue is in the name. Telephones, phone systems, cables, PC bases and monitors, “the fan next to Sarah’s desk that we used once a year and which broke”. Anything electrical or electronic…

- Your Company Needs To Be Registered As A Producer of Hazardous Waste:- Simple. Can be done on-line with The Environment Agency here.  This helps to keep the origin and final destintion of the waste all nicely traceable.  Any genuine waste carrier or processor should ask for your “Premises Code”, being your unique identifier, typically “ABC123″.

- A Licensed Waste Carrier Needs To Take It Away. Not men in Darth Vader masks, simply an organisation, registered with The Environment Agency that will produce a document, rather like an express courier’s shipping note, proving that the waste has gone to a correct “home” and not in a ditch down a pretty country lane. Known as a “Consignment Note”, this needs to have specific boxes completed showing your premises code, defining the type of waste, where it being sent, and the qualifications of the recipient to handle or process it.

I’m quite sure someone will come back and tell me that it isn’t this simple. Please feel free! Even “the authorities” seemed to be confused on some aspects.

But, on the other hand, men with shiny suits, laptops, and mercenary intent will make it very, very complex and expensive. Beware the myth-makers.

Oh, and I better end with an inevitible disclaimer for an increasingly litigious society. You need to check all the above details with the relevant authorities. None of the above should be taken as legally or factually correct… we’ve just been recycling phone systems since 1999, but don’t let that cloud matters.

We’re hear to help and make an honest “clean” living.  Please drop us a mail with any questions. or multi-million pound contracts…

Rob Govier

rob.govier@telecomgreen.co.uk

This entry was posted on Monday, November 20th, 2006 at 12:31 pm and is filed under Telecoms Recycling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.