The electronic waste recycling industry is seeking to enlist the help of councils to boost the percentage of electrical and electronic devices which are recycled, before tough new European targets come into force.

Weee connect, a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) industry partnership, has funded its own TV advertising campaign, due to run more than 800 times on a series of Sky channels in the four weeks from Boxing Day, reaching an estimated 34 million viewers nationwide.

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The National Association for information Destruction (NAID) hired Investigators to look through rubbish put out by law firm, chemists and hospitals in London to see if they contained personal information.

The instructions to the investigators were quite explicit. They were not to go to extraordinary lengths or breach any laws when examining the trash. They were hired to simply look in the bin to see what any passerby might find.

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Batteries are an integral part of modern life – just go ahead and count the batteries that you use yourself in your watches, computers, mobile phones, cameras, alarm clocks, flashlights, toys, remote controls, power tools, cars, boats and so on. You’ll come up with a staggering number. And chances are that your batteries are disposable, so you throw them out with your rubbish when they are empty. Add to that the batteries used by industry, hospitals, public transport, the military etc and you get several billion batteries that are bought every year, a roughly £50 billion market.

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US space agency Nasa has been left red-faced after selling off computers without ensuring that highly sensitive data had been removed.

An internal investigation found 10 cases where PCs were sold despite failing data removal procedures.
Another four PCs – which were about to be sold – were found to contain data restricted under arms control rules.
The space agency’s internal auditors discovered that its policies for wiping data from PCs used in the Shuttle programme have not always been followed.

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When you are choosing a computer disposal company in the UK, there are several things you need to take into account. The disposal of computer equipment in the UK is covered by a number regulations, including:

• Environment Act
• WEEE Directive
• Hazardous Waste Regulations
• Landfill Regulations
• Electrical Equipment (Safety Regulations)
• Basal Convention, Trans Frontier Shipment of Waste

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In 2007, the WEEE directive came into force. This law insists that all used laptops and other electronic items need to be recycled in the UK.

One way to ensure your laptops are properly recycled in the UK is to seek the help of a professional service provider. They can offer legally obliged recycling and disposal of WEEE items. The other option is to give your old laptops, if they are still in good condition, to charities.

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According to a recent survey, one of the five senior information technology managers in the UK is uncertain whether their company’s electronic waste is getting recycled properly. The survey is released by a non-profit organisation Computer Aid International. The survey also says that only 14 percent of companies opted for reuse.

The survey was conducted to analyse the IT recycling and disposal practises of some of the UK’s largest companies. Only 65% participants were confident that their IT is recycled properly. Though reuse is the ideal method for getting rid of old computers, the research indicated that most companies prefer recycling. Among the participants 28% of companies recycle all of their IT assets while 41% recycle over half.

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Mother Nature started recycling way before we did and making your own compost is the best way to see her in action. She employs a massed force of tiny creatures, some invisible to the naked eye to chew, nosh and mash their way through your garden and household waste to produce nutritious, sweet smelling compost, a must for all green fingered gardeners.

How Do I Start?

Start by obtaining or constructing a ‘bin’ to make your compost. Your local authority will usually provide a plastic compost bin for free or you can use any large container as long as air can enter and circulate through it. There are loads of useful web sites that give you complete instructions on how to construct your own, but to be honest, if you can get hold of a free one from the council, why bother!?!

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According to surveys and news reports, every year thousands of containers of e-waste find their way to the landfills of Africa and Asia. Sadly this e-waste, including hazardous items, is being sent by computer disposal companies from the most developed countries like the UK.

How can we stop fraudulent traders and identify a trustworthy computer disposal company that works in line with the WEEE directive and other environmental policies?

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You will find plenty of people on both sides of the great recycling debate, each convinced the other side is ill informed. As the debate continues, there are many who debunk the very idea of recycling. Here are three biggest recycling myths and facts.

Myth 1

There’s no point in recycling, it doesn’t make a difference.

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