Only fully certificated disposal of IT equipment protects you from possible prosecution
WEEE (Electrical) waste is a very broad waste stream covering any electrical waste and includes, computers, monitors, keyboards and mice, printers, cables, hard disks, toner and inkjet cartridges, UPS devices - to name but a few!
Recycling IT for wildlife can help you avoid the risk of penalties through improper and illegal disposal of these items
You could be at risk of fines and penalties if your IT equipment (and any confidential data contained on it) isn’t disposed of legally and correctly.
Any IT equipment or electrical waste (WEEE) of any quantity or type is NOT permitted in your general waste containers and therefore you could incur fines of up to £10,000 if you are found guilty of committing an offence.
E-waste contains a number of toxins, hazardous substances and can have serious health and environmental impact if not disposed of correctly, including:
• Lead in cathode ray tubes (CRTs) and solder
• Arsenic in older CRTs
• Antimony trioxide as flame retardant
• Polybrominated flame retardants in plastic casings, cables and circuit boards
• Selenium in circuit boards as a power supply rectifier
• Cadmium in circuit boards and semiconductors
• Chromium in steel as corrosion protection
• Cobalt in steel for structure and magnetivity
• Mercury in switches and housing
The combination of these substances, along with smelting and burning of waste, causes local air pollution and contaminates ground and surface. These toxins also pose potential health problems including lung disease, lead poisoning and cancer.
