Becoming a WEEE certified school?

[cheesypete]

Here's an interesting one which maybe someone else has come across...

 

Have been offered 80 + desktops from a school that I have close links with (ie my wife is a teacher there and that was my previous employer!) However as its an independent school (with a business "ethos") they require us (an LA school) to have a WEEE certificate in place so that they can hand them over for a minimal fee

 

Whilst its not amazing kit (Pentium D @ 3ghz) it would certainly help me replace kit that seems to have been in place since the start of the millennium!

 

Looking at the Environmental Agency sites and Government related pages, i can only really find information about becoming a WEEE certified "treatment" centre. I guess loosely, thats what we would be but theres references to site visits to check the storage of equipment etc and at the end of the day, there is going to be an annual fee depending on the amount of "waste" that gets recycled

 

Could this potentially mean that schools will no longer be able to pass old kit to feeder schools etc?

 

(Kind of duplicating a question posed by JAMMAN960 in a previous thread, so not unique in my questionning!)

[Jamman960]

I think in the case of LA schools transfering equipment between themselves it may be deemed ok as ultimately the LA could be considered as the owner couldn't it? I'm not overly sure as I've never worked for a state school.

 

You've got me thinking though - one of my suppliers sends PC's and other equipment from their customers to schools in abroad so they must have sorted out a WEEE licence of some sorts. Will have a word with them.

 

James

Edited June 23, 2009 by Jamman960

[synaesthesia]

That doesn't sound right to me - if anything, it sounds as if it's a method of disposal for the donating school and they need to be able to prove they were disposed of according to the WEEE regulations.

What that means is the kit needs to be either reduced, reused or recycled. Only the latter part requires certification via WEEE. Reuse however does not. As long as you get them PAT tested there should be no further legal ramifications.

[sahmeepee]

I agree with synaethesia. If you are just buying the equipment from them to use in school, there is no waste equipment. When it comes the time that you need to dispose of it, you will need to dispose of it safely via a company like LCWS (who will do that for free).

[Ric_]

My brother works for the Environment Agency and was explaining the definition of 'waste' to me the other day... if an item's use changes so that it is still useful to somebody else, it is no longer deemed to be waste.

 

Surely, you would only be accepting the kit if it were useful and as such that kit isn't waste. No?

[steve]

If you are purchasing the equipment, then its not waste.

 

Just add a bit to the invoice that goods are to be used as designed and will be disposed of in accordance with WEEE when no longer required.

[cheesypete]

Thanks for all the comments everyone

 

I too, thought it a little strange that we would need to go to such lengths - particularly as we have every intention of utilising the equipment and not disposing of it

 

I will pass your comments on and will dutifully respond to this thread if i hear anything

 

Pete

[garthsmojo]

Heres a link to the environment agency weee breifing note that explain when IT equipment is waste. Most school equipment donated or given comes under scenario 12 if it's fully working or 13 if it's intended for repair and reuse. Hence no WEEE transfer notes or waste licences are required

 

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/WEEE_briefing_note_v2_7.pdf