Prepare for WEEE now, IT chiefs told

IT managers must not leave preparatation for the forthcoming Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive to other departments such as facilities management, industry experts warn.

Jon Godfrey, director of technical consultancy Life Cycle Services, said only IT managers were capable of implementing a disposal strategy.

IT managers must put strategies in place now, which should include testing equipment, using an asset tracking system and no longer storing redundant equipment in cupboards and storage areas, advised Godfrey.

Companies must also protect their assets by destroying any corporate data held on devices. Godfrey stressed that this task was too important to hand over to other departments such as buildings management.

Jeremy Parsons, marketing director of recycling firm Selway Moore, said IT managers would be ill-advised to hand over the problems of compliance to another department.

"Call me cynical, but if something goes wrong the blame will end up with the IT department," he said.

Godfrey admitted that it would not be easy for IT managers, but he said more companies were setting up services that could handle the problem of recycling, removal of data and disposal.