Show charity stand to take computers

By Chris Williams. Published: 16th Apr 2005, 17:02:47 | Permalink | Printable

RiscPCs and A7000s now welcome at Wakefield

Donations of RiscPCs and A7000s are now welcome for the Wakefield show charity stand. Fearful of the approaching Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, the organisers of next month's event initially banned donations of computer kit and similar hardware. Although the new recycling rules won't become UK law until 13th August, the organisers didn't fancy shelling out for the disposal of unsold electronics left over from the weekend long show.

However, yesterday's turn around came after it's believed Yorkshire based dealer Etc. stepped in to assist with RiscPC and A7000 donations. The charity stand will continue to accept software, CDs, expansion boards and manuals.

The WEEE Directive, which is now EU law, is designed to encourage and regulate the collection, reuse, recycling and recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment, according to the WEEE Network. As a supplier, the Wakefield charity stand, run by the WROCC, would technically have to foot the bill of properly binning left over computers - which isn't a case of simply throwing them into a landfill site, any more.

The charity stand, which flogs previously used products donated by the public, has managed to raise thousands of pounds for the Wakefield Hospice over the past 9 years.

Links

Wakefield show charity stand details WEEE legislation

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Transposition of the WEEE directive into UK law will not now take place until 2006, as is the case with some other EU states. This is largely due to technicalities/logistics that still need to be agreed and put into place.

sa110 on 16/4/05 5:09PM
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sa110: Although it's not yet the law that doesn't alter the fact that it's now become difficult to dispose of old electrical equipment. Most councils have been refusing to accept items like TVs, monitors, printers, etc. in bins for the last year. Although you can normally take a small number of items to the 'dump' if it's more than 3 or 4 they'll consider it 'commercial waste' and charge.

apdl on 17/4/05 8:07AM
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So what are they actually doing with the 'binned' items? Are you just charged to have them put in the ground or do they make some efforts to recycle the materials? And, for that matter, how efficient is the recycling of tellys, PCs, etc? -- Spriteman

Spriteman on 17/4/05 11:25AM
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As APDL have pointed out, the problem is COST of disposal. It has to come from somewhere and that means the charity money unless as we have done come to an arrangement with at least one dealer. Etc. have offered to help, but they are not the primarily one causing this turnaround.

I am well aware that the WEEE regulations have been delayed as such for another year, but the disposal rules already apply in most cases.

As to what happens to the stuff that does get collected for recycling, its exactly that, recycled what can be salavaged is away. Biffa has had a specialist service for several years. HP have now introduced a recycling scheme for printers I believe ahead of the full implementation of WEEE.

I must admit to wondering what Castle are intending to do about this re Iyonixes and RiscPC's etc.. But thats for another thread perhaps by Drobe.

wakeman2 on 17/4/05 5:51PM
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This all sounds like a bit of lobbying is needed (not that talking sense ever works with politicians). If the WEEE is threatening to prevent the chance of old equipment being re-used then it's going against its own spirit. Or is the idea to prevent them from being dumped by having them accumulate in people's lofts and cupboards instead?

SimonC on 19/4/05 9:55AM
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In reply to SimonC:

The WEEE is aimed at ensuring the safe disposal of Electronic and Electrical Equipment. It's aim is to ensure rather than them just been put in a landfill, that they are broken down to their component parts and then recycled where possible. Obviously the best way to recycle is to pass the equipment, if still working, onto someone else who will use it. My understanding of the WEEE is that the local councils will handle the disposal of WEEE from residential house holders and that the businesses who produce the WEEE must ensure they have the procedures in place to take back that equipment at the end of it's life and get it recylced( I think this is one of the sticking points in this being transposed into law). There is nothing in the WEEE directive, to say someone cannot pass on working equipment to another person/company.

I think the problem the charity stand are having, is that equipment left at the end of the shows needs to be either stored or disposed of and that many councils are now charging them for for the disposal of such equipment.

sa110 on 19/4/05 1:03PM
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sa110: AIUI your last para describes the problem.

If there were such a thing as a continuous charity stall all would be well as stuff would probably be sold sooner or later or disposed of in small numbers over time. The trouble is that anything not sold by the end of the show has to be disposed of, one way or another, and all together.

Storing or binning a pile of disc drives, software, or other small items is no problem, but what do you do *now* with 20 A3020s, a dozen A5000s and a heap of 14" monitors ?

apdl on 21/4/05 8:04AM
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Following this article, you may be interested to visit this website for a source of information.

[link] - You can search for a WEEE recycler / refurbisher in your area, so this covers all electrical equipment - including the disposal of Computer Equipment.

You can also post a Tender / Request a WEEE Collection / Quote through the website.

All of the services are free.

ljsmedia on 3/5/05 11:13AM
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