ITWales.com

NetRegs: The ITWales Interview

by Sali Earls

Environmental issues are at the top of the political agenda at the moment, but many businesses find it hard to prioritise cost effective green working. 2007 has seen the introduction of new legislation in the UK to combat waste electrical and electronic equipment, the fastest growing waste stream in the UK. The WEEE Regulations aim to reduce the amount of this waste going to landfill, and increase recovery and recycling rates, and as of 1 July 2007, the regulations apply to the treatment and recycling of household WEEE.

NetRegs provides free environmental guidance for small businesses in the UK, ensuring that they understand what is needed to ensure compliance with environmental legislation and protect the environment, and often helping SMEs save money by demonstrating a more efficient use of resources.

Sali Earls spoke to Ellie Dart of NetRegs to find out what the impact of these new regulations will be on SMEs in Wales. Ellie Dart is NetRegs Comms Officer for Wales. She has worked for NetRegs for two years and is committed to helping SMEs understand their environmental obligations. Recently moving to the role of Comms Officer, Ellie will be spreading NetRegs messages throughout Wales.

What is WEEE and why is it important?

WEEE is Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The use of electrical and electronic equipment in our daily lives is ever increasing. But when we throw this equipment away it affects the environment. Some electrical and electronic equipment contains hazardous substances such as mercury, cadmium or lead.

Environmental issues and recycling are on everyone's minds at the moment, but how does electrical and electronic equipment contribute to the problem? How big is the e-waste problem?

Electrical and Electronic Equipment is the fastest growing waste stream in the UK. Every year we throw away over 2 million tonnes of electrical waste. Half of this is household electrical and electronic equipment, such as toasters, televisions and computers. The rest comes from businesses, including factories, hospitals and offices. Most WEEE is discarded in landfill sites but many of these sites have limited space available in the long term.

Recycling rates for most types of WEEE are very low. If WEEE were to be recycled it would reduce the need to dispose of valuable raw materials, in particular metal and plastic. The WEEE Regulations aim to reduce waste from electrical and electronic equipment and encourage treatment, re-use, recovery and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment.

What are the implications of the legislation for SMEs?

The WEEE Regulations apply to most businesses, including SMEs that manufacture, import, re-brand, distribute, sell, store, treat, dismantle, recycle, dispose or use electrical and electronic equipment.

Those who manufacture, import or re-brand electrical and electronic equipment will need to join a producer compliance scheme. They must mark all goods with the crossed out wheeled bin symbol (to help separate WEEE from other waste streams). They must make sure that all separately collected WEEE is taken to an approved authorisation treatment facility and must meet the cost of the dismantling, recovering, re-use and recycling of WEEE.

Businesses that sell electrical and electronic equipment to an end user must set up a system that allows their customers to dispose of WEEE free of charge. They also need to provide their customers with information on the environmental impacts of WEEE, the reasons for separating WEEE, and how they can treat and recycle WEEE for free.

All businesses that use electrical and electronic equipment will need to store, collect, treat, recycle and dispose of WEEE separately from other waste.

How can small businesses ensure compliance without it costing them a lot of money?

Improving the recyclability and reusability of electrical and electronic equipment, either as part of the product design or by providing information to aid dismantling, will save treatment and disposal costs.

Businesses can also reduce their disposal costs by decreasing the amount of WEEE produced.

Businesses that use electrical and electronic equipment can negotiate their WEEE responsibilities with their supplier. Transferring obligations can benefit both parties.

With other environmental issues, there is often a debate about the difference individuals can make to the problem. How can individuals make a difference to the problem of WEEE, and what is being done at a national level in the UK and beyond to address the situation?

Although an individual's impact to a large environmental issue may appear minimal, collectively they can make a difference; the more people work together; the greater the chance of changing the current situation.

Individuals can separate WEEE from their general rubbish. This means the hazardous substances can be removed, and it can be treated and can be recycled, rather then sent to landfill. A network of collection points for WEEE has been established throughout the UK making it easier for householders to recycle. Individuals can arrange to take old appliances to their local civic amenity site or can arrange for an electrical retailer delivering new equipment to take away the old appliance. Individuals can also think about the environmental consequences before buying new electrical products; do you really need a new product or could your existing equipment be upgraded instead?

Is there any free guidance or advice available to SMEs or perhaps another incentive to make this a priority?

There is lots of free guidance available. NetRegs is a website, which provides free guidance, specifically for SMEs on their environmental obligations. NetRegs has informative up to date pages on the WEEE Regulations. These pages also link to other organisations' guidance on WEEE.

NetRegs also provides access to a useful waste recycling directory for businesses, which allows users to find their nearest recycling and disposal facilities.

Find out more about the WEEE Directive at www.netregs.gov.uk.