In the past few months there have been a number of raids on companies in the UK in order to enforce the EU’s WEEE directive. The raids in June by the environment agency and police in London were on companies trying to disguise old and broken computers, fridges, monitors and electrical equipment as working so they could be shipped to Africa to be stripped for parts. The law here states that old electrical items must be stripped in the UK and not sent to developing countries such as Africa to be stripped in often disgusting conditions.

In China, India and Africa, many young children are being used in appalling conditions to recover the smallest amount of metal. In China young children are already being found with high levels of chemicals in their blood due to stripping down old electrical items.

The UK environment agency has set up a team to fight this illegal trade. Companies will send these old items abroad in order to save on the costs of stripping the items in the UK, the big prizes will be the gold, silver and steel that can be claimed from this type of electrical waste.

In other European countries there are only around 3 recycling schemes whilst the UK has around 40 which are supposed to buy waste and recycle it on behalf of businesses. One of the biggest problems is businesses not ensuring that their electrical waste is going to the right places. Consumers are also at fault with only 14% of TV’s, 10% of computers, 9% of toasters and 20% of mobile phones being recycled correctly.

Recycle your Mobile Phone or old iPod today.