Just in case you didn't know

[Crystal]

I think raden is talking WEEE !

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was to have come into force in June of this year.

 

[Agile]

The WEEE requirements are primarily directed at household disposal of computers and TVs although they catch Raden as he recycles pcbs and presumably sometimes disposes of scrap ones.

Parts of the info are:-

"""By 31 December 2006, Member States must achieve a collection rate of at least 4 kilograms on average per inhabitant per year of waste electrical and electronic equipment from private households;

Member States to ensure that all WEEE collected from private households is transported to treatment facilities authorised under Article 6. Article 6 sets down standards which treatment facilities will have to meet;"""

As far as boiler repairers are concerned they have been covered by the Waste Transfer regulations since about 2002. There will be some overlap with WEEE and probably with a negative effect on RGIs.

Of course the obvious interpretation of the various regulations is that you should employ a licenced waste transporter to take your old PCBs to Raden for recycling!

Tony

 

[geoff@cetltd]

Er, what should we do with blown pcbs then Raden?

Of course you cannot repair them with leaded solder either!

Yes I can

lead free solder applies to manufactured boards, repair with tin/lead solder is permitted for repair

 

[cdg]

I believe some logistics company has a special WEEE recycling plant solely for that purpose in Billingham (best thing for Billingham really). Wincanton I think. Perhaps you could post all your crap to them?

 

[geoff@cetltd]

I don't have time to look right now (Flight tomorrow and I haven't started packing), but part of WEEE came in on the 1st july which makes it illegal for companies to incorrectly dispose of electronic equipment

 

[fitz1]

its not our waste. its the customers.

 

[cdg]

The customer is expecting waste materials to be removed from site though when they pay for the job. Lien passes to the tradesman I'd think.

 

[Softus]

The customer is expecting waste materials to be removed

Actually, there's more than one customer, and they have many different expectations.

 

[cdg]

Ah, ok. That must make me wrong then. Apologies

 

[Softus]

Ah, ok. That must make me wrong then. Apologies

Not at all - you were just a trifle glib; raden is wrong.

 

[corgiman]

its not our waste. its the customers.

your right it remains the propertyon the client

removal without consent would constitute theft

 

[Softus]

removal without consent would constitute theft

Come on cm; removal would be construed as a mistake made through wanting to be helpful and in clearing up, seeing as TV portrays the image of bad boys as people who never clear up.

 

[oilman]

You clear it up and put it in their wheelie bin. Taking anything off site which you do not own (even rubbish) could be seen as theft.

 

[johnny_t]

S. unleaded solder is now banned -fine - what about Military applications Just a dud connection somewhere and...........

Onto my subject now, so I can comment a bit. Military applications are able to request an exemption (actually from the RohS directive rather than WEEE) because HMP solders can be susceptible to a phenomenon known as tin whiskers which is seen as a greater problem than a bit of lead. Dud connections aren't such an issue as they are normally assembled using a reflow process, which means that all joints have passed through a tightly controlled temperature profile.

 

[Softus]

You clear it up and put it in their wheelie bin. Taking anything off site which you do not own (even rubbish) could be seen as theft.

Of course there's that risk, with small pieces of waste, but don't we all mitigate that risk by either asking (or telling) the customer about the waste, or by taking it overtly?

Honesty is the best policy. For example, I generally pile up old copper and brass near my vehicle, and ask the customer if they want it before I load it on. If they're curious I explain that it has some scrap value, which they could redeem themselves if they want to take it to the merchant.