Earlier this month the UK missed the deadline for implementing the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive, a set of European rules that will force suppliers of electrical products to recycle obsolete appliances. Sneak was about to dust off his biodegradable soapbox and sound off at the professional foot-draggers staffing the DTI, but then discovered that the UK is not alone in filing this particular directive in the round receptacle. Every other EU country is in the same boat, or bin, with all the various member states being as tardy as the UK. All, that is, except Greece. It seems the Greeks alone have taken to heart recent EC rants against landfilling and incineration, which apparently "set free pollutants that contaminate air, water and soil and can have adverse health effects". Presumably Greece was happy to sign up because it can avoid the above techniques by sticking to the ancient Greek waste disposal method so familiar to tourists visiting the Hellenic peninsular: find the nearest cliff and hoick those old PCs into the sparkling blue Aegean.

23 Aug 2004