Member Article

Clean up time

With Business Link

Quieter operating days between Christmas and New Year are often used by businesses to have a much-needed clean up and clear out. With the fast pace of innovation in the IT market, computer equipment can have a short shelf-life if you want to keep up with the latest technology. But, if you chose the start of the New Year to replace yours, you may now have a pile of unwanted PCs taking up much-needed office or factory space.

In the UK there is a range of waste-management laws which might affect the way you dispose of old equipment. You can’t just leave the cleaner a note asking them to throw them out; or even take them to the tip yourself. You need to be aware of how to dispose of equipment legally and safely with minimal impact on the environment. Furthermore, new regulations introduced on January 1st by the European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive could alter the cost or way businesses are able to dispose of electrical and electronic equipment. Designed to reduce the environmental impact of such redundant machines, it takes the responsibility for their disposal away from local authorities and tax payers and imposes certain requirements on businesses that manufacture, sell, distribute, recycle or treat electrical and electronic equipment. They will have to finance the collection (from users other than private households), treatment, recovery and disposal of WEEE products on the market before January 1st – although it is expected they will recoup the cost from the user.

More information on the new WEEE regulations is given on the Business Link website. If you deal in these goods at any stage of their lifecycle, make sure you know your obligations – non compliance could result in you being fined or imprisoned and your product being banned! Business Link’s website also gives advice on getting rid of all sorts of things – from hazardous waste to old vehicles. Apart from the traditional method of getting a waste contractor to dispose of your waste, you could consider whether:

• the equipment can be refurbished or repaired and donated to an organisation such as a local charity or school.
• it is possible to recycle and recondition the equipment to a level where it could be re-sold or rented out. This would offset the costs of your replacements too
• the item, or parts of it, can be dismantled for parts can be recycled – therefore reducing waste
• you could use a waste exchange, which takes one organisation’s waste and makes it available to others that might have a use for it

Visit the ‘Disposal of old equipment: your responsibilities’ section of the website to link to a guide on how to find organisations to help you.

For Business Link services in your local area, call 0845 600 9006 or visit the website www.businesslink.gov.uk. Business Link services in the North East are supported by the European Regional Development Fund, through the Government Office for the North East, and One NorthEast.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .