The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 affect, among other things, the disposal of cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors and the batteries installed in computer base units and laptops.
Any business that generates more than 200kgs of hazardous waste per year, which is the equivalent of only ten 17" computer monitors, is now classed as a 'producer of Hazardous Waste' and must register its premises with the Environment Agency.
"Many businesses are unaware of the new regulations and haven't begun to consider how they will dispose of their unwanted computers,” said David Sogan, CEO and founder of Digital Links International, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to improve the lives of people in the developing world by providing them with access to refurbished computer equipment.
Digital Links International promotes itself as a low cost way of managing redundant equipment and gives businesses the added knowledge that their computers will help transform the educational and economic opportunities of thousands of young people in Africa and other developing countries.
Since being founded in 2002, the company has distributed more than 20,000 refurbished computers to over 1,200 schools and other institutions in 15 different countries.
The company handles a minimum donation of 25+ computers at a time, and has already received donations from DHL, Ford, Reuters, Shell, Barclays, Centrica, Research Machines, Bupa, Unicef, Allsop, Turner Broadcasting System, Brake Brothers, Timberland and the Guardian.
According to Digital Links, donors are safe in the knowledge that the PC's hard drives will be cleared of any sensitive information, by being professionally sanitised to GCHQ standards. In addition, if Digital Links collects any equipment that cannot be reused, this is disposed of in line with all existing and proposed environmental legislation.
The new Regulations affect England and Wales, but similar rules exist in Scotland under the Special Waste Amendment (Scotland) Regulations of 2004.
