How to stop WEEE rules going to waste

The major issue with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive is that IT professionals simply do not know about it (One year on – are the WEEE rules working?, 7 July).



Research we undertook showed that 73 per cent of those working in the IT industry are not aware of the legislation. Many are also not clear on the difference between business and manufacturer responsibility. Without greater awareness, we won‘‘t stand a chance of stemming the fastest-growing waste stream in Europe.



A major education process is required – not only on the ways in which machines can be recycled, but also the importance of permanently erasing all sensitive data first, for peace of mind and to prevent it falling into the wrong hands.



This problem needs to be addressed to prevent the directive being consigned to the "too difficult" basket or being regarded as irrelevant.



Phil Bridge, Kroll Ontrack UK