Many mid-market firms will not be ready to comply with an imminent law governing IT asset disposal, and a high-profile prosecution may be required to shock them into action, according to Andrew Blocksage, business development executive at IT asset management services specialist Redemtech.

Speaking last week, Blocksage said that although the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is set to become law in the UK next July, many mid-market and smaller firms are not preparing adequately for the legislation.

Blocksage added that while larger organisations are taking environmental laws increasingly seriously some smaller companies are guilty of "sticking their head in the sand".

"Quite a few people are under the false impression that only the equipment producer is responsible [for IT asset disposal]," he said. "But all the producer has to do [under WEEE] is offer a service… it is the firms' responsibility to dispose of their assets [in an approved way]."

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said in a statement that the details of the legislation would not be finalised until around December following further consultation with industry. However, he said that while equipment producers will have most responsibility for disposal under WEEE rules, owners of kit would also have some duties.

"[Where old kit] is being replaced by new equivalent products, the 'producer' [of the new kit] is responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal when supplying the new products," the spokesman said. "In other cases, for example where [old kit] is not being replaced, the business [that owns the kit] will be responsible for arranging treatment and recycling."

Blocksage added that even firms that understood their new responsibilities were dragging their feet and failing to sign up with authorised asset disposal organisations. "There is a feeling that as WEEE still isn’t set in stone they still don’t need to jump now, but they really should have this sorted ahead of the deadline," he argued. "It'll need a big company to get caught [not using an authorised disposal channel] to highlight the problem to the rest."