Largest U.K. companies could improve reuse, recycling of e-waste, finds Computer Aid International study

by Shane Henson — September 28, 2011—Computer Aid International, the U.K.-registered ICT for development charity, recently released its findings of the first in a two-part series of independent research conducted by Vanson Bourne examining 100 senior information technology (IT) decision makers in U.K. companies on their IT disposal practices. The research establishes how companies with 1,000-plus employees dispose of their IT and the factors that influence their disposal methods. Companies in the United States and other countries can compare their own practices with the findings.

According to Computer Aid International, key findings from the survey include:

• Despite declining IT budgets, PC turnover in the U.K. remains high, with respondents disposing of an average of 542 computers per year. Typically, U.K. companies replace their base units every 3.7 years and their monitors every four years. Despite the economic climate, one third of companies replace their base units as often as every three years and one in five replace monitors during this time frame as well.
  
• Encouragingly, 83% of U.K. senior IT decision makers state that their company is compliant with the WEEE Directive—the legislation aimed at reducing the volume of e-waste generated and the promotion of reuse, recycling and recovery of working equipment. However, it is concerning that 13% of respondents are not aware of the directive at all.
  
• Shockingly, one in five senior IT decision makers is “not confident” that none of their company’s PCs end up in landfill. In fact, only 65% were confident or very confident that all their unwanted IT avoided being sent to landfill. Given that dumping e-waste in landfill is illegal as well as extremely dangerous to human health and the environment, it is of critical importance that UK companies reassess their IT disposal procedures.
  
• Of all the disposal methods, recycling IT equipment is the preferred option, with 28% of companies recycling all of their IT and 41% recycling more than half. Though this is encouraging, reuse of unwanted IT equipment is a much more environmentally friendly and socially responsible method of disposal than recycling, and it is also the preferred disposal method specified in the WEEE Directive.
  
• Only 14% of companies follow best practice in IT disposal and send all their working computers for reuse and recycle the rest. Among the remaining respondents, 63% cite data protection concerns as a reason for avoiding reuse. Cost is also a factor, with 53% stating that this influences their decision not to reuse, while 24% suggested that contractual obligations to a leasing company prevented them from doing so.