The waste electrical and electrical equipment (WEEE) directive, adopted by the European Union (EU) is still being hotly debated in the UK. The directive, which aims to prevent too much electrical waste and promote recycling, is a huge priority for the government because of the potential hazardousness of WEEE waste.

The government is committed to implementing this directive in such a way that the environmental benefits are maximised, but with minimal cost to business.

A key part of this directive is the introduction of producer responsibility for WEEE. Producers will have to finance the treatment and the recycling or recovery of collected WEEE items, which includes household appliances and consumer equipment. The EU set a deadline for member states to ensure that producers were allowed to set up and operate individual or collective take-back systems. However, the timetable for the practical implementation of these obligations is not likely to be introduced until 1 January 2007 in the UK, some two years later than expected.

A common complaint among companies is that they don’t have enough information about this directive because of the lack of transparency of the EU and EU law. However, one advantage of the delay in implementation is that organisations have time to do some research and put a comprehensive programme into place.

Many responsible manufacturers are ahead of the game and have already put into practice their own environmental initiatives. At least 250 million printer cartridges are thrown away every year, ending up in landfill and incinerator facilities for electronic waste. The key is to both educate and offer incentives, because not enough people know about the problem, or indeed how or why to remedy it.

No organisation can afford to be complacent because all forms of office equipment quickly become redundant. Companies need to think carefully about their social responsibilities and take environmental issues seriously. By recycling inkjet cartridges, every person in the UK can help not only a global issue, but also raise money for UK-based charities. And as the timetable for the implementation of WEEE gets closer, we have no excuses not to be prepared and ensure our customers comply.

William Studholme is managing director of Jet Tac International.