The Government has been accused of failing to enforce its own Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations SI 2006/3289, following reports that large quantities of broken IT equipment are continuing to be illegally dumped in Africa.
Critics claim that while the shipment of goods is clearly illegal, the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (DoE) are shying away from their enforcement role and that they lack the resources to police the disposal of WEEE.
Manufacturers are obliged to ensure that all products are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner themselves, or to sign up with an approved waste handling firm.
However, a Greenpeace investigation has revealed that large quantities of broken computers, monitors and TVs from manufacturers including Philips Canon, Dell, Microsoft, Nokia, Siemens and Sony are being illegally shipped to West African scrapyards.
Greenpeace believe that the process, in which equipment is stripped of valuable components and metals before being crushed and burned, pollutes local water tables and exposes workers to potentially toxic dust and fumes.
Greenpeace International toxics campaigner, Martin Hojsik said that they had found equipment from the NHS, local councils, schools and universities in Ghanaian dumps.
In England, an Environment Agency spokesman acknowledged that there were funding issues and said that the "complexity" of the legislation made policing difficult. In agreement, Computer Aid International director, Tony Roberts said that the Agency had no staff to oversee those who knowingly flout the legislation.
