The UK’s new recycling laws for electrical equipment came into effect on 1 July, with IT vendors now responsible for ensuring their products are disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner.

The much-delayed Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Weee) directive passed into law at the start of the year, but the requirement on suppliers and retailers has only now become effective.

However, the regulation also places responsibilities on business IT users, including the need to keep an audit trail for disposal of all IT kit, such as PCs, monitors, servers, printers and mobile phones.

Experts say that IT managers should take this opportunity to devise a recycling strategy for their equipment.

Charity Computer Aid International, which refurbishes used PCs and supplies them to education and heathcare projects in developing countries, has published a free guide to help IT managers understand the implications of the Weee directive.

‘Faced with a host of conflicting information, many businesses are either confused about the directive or are totally unaware that it affects them at all,’ said Tony Roberts, chief executive of Computer Aid.

‘Our new Weee guide and services are aimed at helping companies of all sizes understand the law and realise that there is an alternative to recycling equipment for its component materials that is much better for the environment. That alternative is re-use.’