The European Council has decided to lower the legislation for the annual collection of Waste Electronic and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). The original amount was set to be 85% of all WEEE, but the council is now asking governments to collect 45% of the average weight of electrical and electronic equipment in their national markets by 2016. By 2020 they want the target to rise to 65%, which is still 20% lower than the original goal.
Because of the difference in use between western and eastern European countries, some of these latter ones have been set even lower expectations.
This makes them more achievable – which is good but also lowers expectations. Halving the limit will move it down the priority list hugely.
The thing is we don’t always understand the legacy we leave on our children’s earth. By not disposing of our WEEE properly, we pollute and maltreat the planet. It may not affect us immediately, but if we do not take care of the earth, how can we expect it to give us the things that we need or provide for us in any way?
If we treat computer waste properly, it is a win-win situation all around really:
- We get rid of our WEEE.
- There are no damaging goods lying around polluting our planet earth.
- The IT equipment can be refurbished and sent to people who are not as fortunate to have access to all of the things that we do have.
So how can we make this practical then? Well, we at Computers 4 Africa have a solution for the IT equipment you want to get rid of properly. We can take them off you, refurbish them and send them to schools, libraries and various projects in Africa. This way we take care of our problem and at the same time we give the development in different African countries a hand.
As said before, recycling WEEE properly goes beyond just our own getting rid of it, it makes a difference to the earth we live on, the people we live with and the people who will live long after us.
