WEEE directive postponement gives more time

Postponed Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive - to ensure specialist disposal of electrical machinery and electronic equipment offers 'last chance' for industry to prepare.

Acumen Waste Services notes three distinct attitudes from firms: compliant, confused and complacent.

Postponement of legislation from August 2005 to 2006 provides last chance for industrial businesses.

Acumen Waste Services urge: 'act now to implement best practice' Industrial businesses of all sizes remain oblivious to the impact of proposed waste management laws affecting the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment, according to a statement issued today by Acumen Waste Services.

Commenting on the imminent Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, Acumen managing director Iain Johnson says: "This new European legislation aims to reduce the waste produced by the disposal of electrical and electronic devices such as computers and monitors.

Many industrial businesses wrongly believe that the new regulations only relate to manufacturers, to encourage them to produce more recyclable products.

However, this is not the whole picture." He adds: "The Directive requires that 65% of IT equipment be recycled.

And the implementation of the Landfill Directive and the introduction of the-Special Waste Regulations Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 mean that items such as monitors, LCD displays, printed circuit boards, batteries and flame retardant plastics are newly considered as hazardous wastes and must be treated as such.

The new regulations call for these materials to be pre-treated before disposal." The new laws will put an increased burden on all businesses to arrange for specialist disposal of this type of equipment, at the end of its life, or face heavy fines.

Acumen is urging businesses to understand the legislation and the impacts it will have.

Johnson says that industrial firms have had long lead times to come to terms with the new legislation.

However, businesses remain divided into three distinct groups - firms who are compliant, those who are confused and some who are simply complacent.

Johnson comments: "There are companies that have actively embraced the new legislation, and made the requirements part of their best practice.

These businesses are to be applauded." He continues: "There is a second group who understand the onus of the new laws but are not sure how to act.

We are encouraging this group to seek help and put plans in place that will enable them to be fully compliant." He adds: "And there is a third group that appear to be burying their heads in the sand and imagining that the new laws will not affect them.

They need to understand that this is a naive approach and they run the risks of hefty fines when the legislation goes live.

We are encouraging them to understand what the new rules mean to their business and to adopt a best practice approach." Complying with the new regulations is important from a legal perspective, but we are also reminding industrial firms that the purpose of the legislation is to protect the environment, and the sooner they live up to the principles of the new legislation, the quicker they will be able to demonstrate their social responsibilities to their staff, customers and shareholders." The implementation of the legislation had been planned for August 2005, though the government has recently announced that the new laws will not become effective until early 2006.

However, according to Johnson, firms should use this delay to take stock and adopt best practice, rather than ignore it.

Acumen has issued a guide to the WEEE directive and other European Waste Management directives.

It is available by visiting their web site.

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