A recent report, commissioned by Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC), claims that one in four old machines in the UK are being dumped with the household rubbish or at tips, rather than being recycled.
Of those computers that are being recycled, just 10 per cent are actually being recycled via a manufacturer's recycling facility, with the majority (41 per cent) being given to friends or charity.
The figures are particularly disappointing given the existence of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, which requires manufacturers of electrical equipment to collect and recycle their products for free when requested by the consumer.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers claims that not enough is being done to promote the WEEE Directive and is calling on local councils to set up dedicated recycling facilities for electrical computers at local tips.
"Although people do take their rubbish to the local tip, unless their laptop or PC is assessed on the site, there's no guarantee that it will be passed on for re-use or recycling," says Dave Pritchard, senior technology strategist, Fujitsu Siemens Computers.
"It's a huge missed opportunity. With the right facilities these thrown away units could easily be reused elsewhere and those facilities need to be at the municipal sites where people drop off their waste."
