United WEEE stand, divided we fall

ITACS online petition to combat the unfair effects of the WEEE directive on SMEs is a step in teh right direction, writes Sara Driscoll

No-one can please all the people all the time, but not pleasing most people most of the time is a tricky predicament to be in.

Ever since the Europeam Union announced the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) directive in 2003 there has been much chagrin from the channel.

Environmental issues are the most fashionable topic of the moment – green is the new black – and the channel is in a prime position to help reduce every UK company’s carbon footprint.

However, no-one quite understood that being green could mean wading through swathes of so much red tape. Coupled with the time-consuming and mostly unnecessary red tape is the additional hit to the bottom line that many SMEs will face once the WEEE directive comes into force on 1 July.

As it stands SMEs will have to pay someone to dispose of their equipment for them, a cost many SMEs cannot absorb. If more small businesses collapse under the weight of these costs, the knock on affect to UK plc will be dramatic. Now one organisation has been proactive enough to try and do something about the situation.

The Independent Trade Association of Computing Specialists (ITACS), backed up by the Federation of Small Business and the National Association of Specialist Computer Retailers, is stepping in. Launching an online e-petition on the government’s web site today, the organisation is hoping to change the rules by going directly to Gordon Brown.

The WEEE directive has been a contentious issue in the channel. The directive is rife with ambiguity and there has been little in the way of explanation from the government. If channel players unite and sign this petition we could at least ensure that some of us are pleased about something.

To sign the petition go to: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk