The incessantly delayed Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive has finally become law today.

Producers have until the 15 March 2007 to join an approved compliance scheme with full producer responsibility commencing on 1 July 2007.

However, any channel players involved in the handling of hazardous WEEE will have to comply from 1 April 2007.

Computer Aid International, a not-for-profit provider of professionally refurbished computers to developing countries, welcomed the high priority given to reuse of WEEE over other forms of disposal, in the directive.

Tony Roberts, chief executive of Computer Aid, said: “Computer Aid can help producers and importers become WEEE compliant and at the same time help people in developing countries. We offer one of the most secure and ethically sound reuse services available.

“Many of the world’s most successful organisations already work with us, such as British Airways, Packard Bell and Invesco. We believe that recycling should be perceived as a last resort, especially when items like PCs can be refurbished and used for years by schools and health projects that currently simply cannot afford new computers.”

Meanwhile, Sims Recycling Solutions, a division of metals and electronic equipment recycler Sims Group, is extending its infrastructure and installing new processing capacity at its Newport, South Wales plant, in order to treat and recycle WEEE.

The new £8m facility site has a footprint of 12 acres and has the capacity to process in excess of 100,000 tonnes of WEEE per annum. It will also complement Sims’ existing WEEE operations in Scotland, England, Scandinavia, Benelux and Germany.

Graham Davy, managing director of Sims Recycling Solutions, said: “This investment has been planned for some time and we are pleased that we are now finally able to implement our strategy since the government has laid down the regulations."

Further reading:

WEEE gets go ahead at last

WEEE directive on track to hit summer deadline

The green green path to WEEE