Thanks for the article ‘Our PCs, Our planet’ (PCW, October 2006). I would like to add a few comments.

You correctly stated that RoHS does not cover batteries, that’s because these are already covered by the Batteries and Accumulators (Containing Dangerous Substances) Regulations and the recovery and recycling of them will covered under the new batteries directive (see the DTI's web page for more information).

The WEEE directive only requires distributors to offer take back equipment when purchasing an equivalent replacement. Some distributors will also be joining a scheme that will allow them to opt out of offering a direct take back service and will instead ask the end user to deposit the items in the local WEEE skips as and when the WEEE is implemented.

The latest on WEEE is that it will not be implemented in the UK until the end of 2006. Producers will then have to join a producer compliance scheme which will act on their behalf in collecting equipment from your local tip.

The consumer is expected to deposit electronic equipment in these dedicated skips and the scheme will collect, treat and recycle this on behalf of its members. This make more environmental sense in dealing with the consumer locally rather than having Dell or HP offering to return old computers to them and having them shipped by vans across the country.

RoHS is, as correctly stated half way through your article, “The restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment” not “the reduction of hazardous substances” as you state in the second paragraph of the article.

And remember to wipe your hard drive or destroy it before taking it to the tip as a recent study has found that most people don’t and your personal data and bank details may be easily recovered!

Mark Dowling