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A new specification will help keep e-waste out of landfill, by creating formal quality tests for re-used equipment.
The PAS 141 specification will create a “Reuse Label”, which can be applied to re-usable equipment, and will combat the dangers of “recycled” IT kit ending up at killer recycling plants in the third world, or else in the hands of crooks determined to extract personal information from hard drives.
“Re-using IT equipment is twenty times better than sending it to landfill,”said Gary Griffiths of asset recovery firm RDC, speaking at an IT recycling event at the House of Commons, run by Comtek – a specialist in reusing network equipment.
“Re-used IT equipment needs to be safe,” said Griffiths. The PAS 141 specification has been worked on within the now-defunct WEEE Advisory Board (WAB) since at least 2009.
WAB – which continues to meet despite losing its government funding – chose a “publicly available specification (PAS) instead of a more formal British Standard (BS), in order to get a specification into circulation as quick as possible. This means it is able to address widely-criticised problems in the implementation of the EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, which is intended to keep electrical equipment out of the waste stream.
The PAS does the important job of defining REEE – re-used electrical and electronic equipment, and includes data destruction in the tests it specifies so that companies putting equipment into the REEE scheme can be secure, and end-users buying it can trust they are getting a safe, workable system, which can be supported.
Other speakers at the event included Mark Tami, MP for Alyn and Deeside, and Askar Sheibani, CEO of Comtek, who said: “As a business we can make a change by creating local jobs, by training staff and being a source of development. However, to make a real difference, we need to see a total shift in our business culture.”
“It’s the entire life cycle that is very poorly calculated,” said Green ICT expert Catalina McGregor, who works at the ITU. “We are at a stage where we need to accept the integrated technoprint of mining, manufacturing, shipping and packaging is significant but we cannot afford to ignore the intensive footprint associated with using the web and our mobile networks.”
Griffiths suggested that, given the carbon costs of buying new equipment, the government could incentivise reuse by awarding carbon credits to UK organisations that demonstrate significant levels of reuse.
The final version of PAS 141 will be published at the end of March 2011, but a draft version is visible here.
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My concern with PAS141 and any other kitemark that jumps on the WEEE bandwagon, is the cost for community and voluntary organisations who reuse computers for retraining of long term unemployed or disabled people and have little or no income.
Once the marketing machines start spouting that you should only use PAS141 accredited facilities, if the cost of PAS141 is too high, then these organisations are put at risk and they are the lifeblood for many communities.
If it's free and reasonable to implement then I will rejoice and recommend it to all 20 of our (not-for-profit refurbisher) members, otherwise PAS141 becomes just another elite club for those that can afford it.
Anything that can help to keep WEEE from landfill, raise awareness of WEEE obligations amongst the IT community, gets my vote.
Whilst I can understand the concerns of Keith, if company's are following the WEEE directive REG 47 now anyway, then they are already doing the majority of PAS141 anyway.
This is a very good article Peter, and the introduction of PAS 141 would formalise a lot of things that WEEE resale companies should be doing already - making sure kit they are reselling is working and safe to use.
Any company should be addressing the traceability, record keeping and testing of equipment and this specification just ties it all together.
If it avoids WEEE being falsely declared as fit for resale and illegally exported abroad then it can only be a good thing.
Given my interest in the data destruction side of the industry it is also good to see that this is being addressed seriously - it is a very important issue that people need to be aware of.
Of course any standard which improves the ITAD industry is welcome but PAS141 covers a small area of the services that a reputable ITAD should already practise and be able to provide evidence.
By using an ITAD who hold a current "Waste Management" licence you have the assurance that all consignments are reported to the Environment Agency. In addition the DIPCOG recognised ADISA standard covers all areas of IT asset recycling including recycling, reporting, security...... and all accredited members of ADISA are subjected to spot audits to ensure best practises are iin place throughout the year.
PAS141 is a welcome addition to our industry but my concern is this can be used to muddy the waters and mislead clients into thinking this is the standard set for IT asset management.