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WEEE Recycling: Data Destruction is Essential

Your business data may no longer be of value to you once you have done what you need to do with it, but it is valuable to your competitors. That is why any media, from paper to Flash memory cards, that contains business data must be thoroughly destroyed before disposal.

The risks of disposal of media containing data that you may believe has been destroyed but has really just been lightly erased include putting yourself or your customers at risk for identity theft as well as making data available to unscrupulous individuals. Even recycling a computer to comply with WEEE recycling regulations does not include proper data destruction techniques.

These techniques include degaussing, in which magnetic patterns that conform to actual data are realigned so that the data is unreadable and unrecoverable, shredding, which entails shredding media into very fine bits that cannot be reassembled, and software wiping, in which all HEX values on the entire volume of a disk are overwritten using special software. In the United kingdom, such software must meet Data protection Act standards to be considered effective for data destruction.

Computers, including internal hard disk drives and other internal media storage devices, must be recycled according to WEEE regulations (EU). However, if data remains available on any part of the device before, during or after WEEE recycling procedures, it still poses a threat to your company security. Therefore, devices that hold data and are subject to WEEE recycling regulations must undergo a thorough process of data destruction before recycling can take place.

Hard drive destruction is absolutely imperative before WEEE recycling can start. This is because even when a disk drive is seemingly erased, the information on it can be recovered and made available without your knowledge. Ensuring that an expert with security cleared personnel destroys the hard drive by methods such as degaussing and shredding is the only way you can be sure that any data that was ever available on a drive that is slated for disposal can never be accessed again. Software wiping is recommended only for hard disk drives that will be reused after the data stored on them is fully destroyed.

Media tape drives are also easily accessible if they are not fully and professionally destroyed prior to disposal. Degaussing and shredding are the most recommended techniques for destruction of media tape drives.

Even CD’s and DVD’s which contain sensitive and confidential data should never be disposed of without making the data completely inaccessible. Complete physical destruction of the media through precision shredding that is offered by professional media disposal firms is the only way to ensure that data on a CD or DVD is fully inaccessible.

Flash memory cards, external memory sticks, and similar devices must also be subject to data destruction measures if they have ever held sensitive data. A specialist firm which handles data destruction should be consulted regarding such memory devices as their small size makes it very easy for them to end up in the wrong hands.

 

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Glasgow Weee Recycling | For a Brighter Future

Have you ever thought about electronic goods waste?

As per the details available, we create around 20 kg per person of electrical waste each and every year, and this figure is growing.

The UK alone produces an unbelievable  total of one million tonnes of electronic waste, and this makes the overall picture all the more frightening!

 People are demanding for more and more of these new electronic products with exciting technologies, while discarding throwing out the old ones. This situation seems to grow more and more complex with each passing month.

To make our planet a better place to live in, the European Economic Union came out with a directive called WEEE Recycling (WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) in a bid to deal with unnecessary electronic waste. As per the directive, all manufacturers, retailers , importers and distributors are required to recycle old technology. New responsibilities have been introduced for businesses, schools, hospitals, and government agencies and all these organizations are needed to ensure that all separately collected WEEE is treated and recycled.  Be Seen Go Green  Can help and advise you on your obligations under the WEEE directive

At present, there are n numbers of waste management companies around which offer a range of commercial waste management and WEEE recycling services. Not all however have the correct permits or can provide you with the necessary WTC (waste transfer certificate) Which is required to release you from your duty of care in relation to your obligation to ensure that your WEEE is properly disposed of.  A few moments of online search will help you come across numerous such companies which offer your waste management services at highly competitive prices. And with so many companies around, it is not that tough to find a good service provider. It is really easy. The Internet can be extremely helpful here. Please bear in mind that when you dispose of WEEE that the company you choose to carry out this service is indeed able to provide WTC to you, if you are unsure and need help in finding such companies contact BE SEEEN GO GREEN

There is no denying the fact that Weee Recycling is playing a vital role in dealing with harmful e-waste or electronic waste. However, a lot of thought and research should go in, before you point your finger on a particular electronic waste recycling service provider.

 

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Ignorance is NO Excuse!

The amount of times I hear business owners say ” I didn’t know we needed to be” or ” I thought it only applied to large companies” is unbelievable.  There really is no excuse for not knowing about what environmental legislation affects their business. The buck stops with them! 

A recent case concerning Anderton Concrete Products Ltd highlights this ignorance, the following is directly from the EA:

Concrete company fails to comply with packaging regulations

Leicestershire concrete manufacturer ordered to pay over £50,000 fines and costs for failing to register and recycle packaging waste.

Anderton Concrete Products Ltd, pleaded guilty today (28 Jan 2011) at Coalville Magistrates’ Court to 18 offences under the Packaging Regulations, and asked for a further 12 to be taken into account.

The organisation was fined £36,000, ordered to pay £5,712.55 in costs, £8,408 in compensation, and a £15 victim surcharge.

The business, of Leicester Road, Ibstock, Leicestershire, should have been registered with the Environment Agency or a compliance scheme since the year 2000 and was obliged to recover and recycle packaging waste, as well as filing a certificate at the end of each year to confirm it had met these obligations. 

However, the company did not register with a compliance scheme until 2010.

The court heard a routine check by the Environment Agency in January 2010 established that the company should have been registered in previous years.

The company’s explanation for failing to comply with the packaging waste regulations was that it was unaware that it was an obligated company under the regulations.

By failing to register, the company had avoided fees and other costs of £23,615.

Speaking after the case an Environment Officer said: “The packaging regulations are designed to reduce the amount of packaging used by businesses and increase the amount of packaging waste recycled. This case highlights the need for businesses to make sure they understand their responsibility.”

In mitigation, the court heard that the company had entered an early guilty plea, had cooperated fully with the investigation and were not aware that the company were obligated under the regulations.  It was an oversight not a deliberate intention to evade the regulations. In addition, the company is now fully compliant.

The charges were brought by the Environment Agency under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997, 2005 and 2007 (as amended).

As you can see, being ignorant really is a costly business.

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Recycling: How to encourage your colleagues

How do you encourage recycling in your office? Recycling is someone else’s job, isn’t it? Why do we have such an aversion to recycling in the factory?

Remeber when the kids were young, How did you motivate  the children to eat their greens? You made it interesting!

In essence, many office employees have the same mentality when it comes to things that don’t seem to be their job, or require too much time. If you’re trying to get your company to recycle more, here are some ideas you might want to try. 

Instead of just hitting them with the facts as to why recycling is great, try using some examples. The begining is a great place to start. Many people think that waste just affects the land, is someone else’s problem and doesn’t afftect them, how wrong can they be? 

If you’re a creative individual, try making something out of recycled material. Art is a classic example. If you’ve ever visited new eco-friendly parks or other major parks around the world, you will see a myriad of sculptures that have been put together with scrap metal. No need to be artistic at heart, but simple art created out of recycled material is a great way to raise money and awareness for the need to recycle. 

A simple business, home or otherwise, can be had from food waste, vermiculture, worms to you and me, recycle food waste by composting using worms, sell the worms (they breed at an incredible rate) to fishing enthusiasts, use the compost to grow vegetables for sale or own use.

Few things are as effective as petitions. Don’t ask people to petition the government to do something, rather petition them to recycle a certain percent of their waste weekly, and provide the numbers. Many people are overwhelmed by the demands of recycling unless it is made simple. Instead of asking them to recycle every piece of plastic, ask them to recycle just 10% of their plastic to begin with, and show the mathematical calculations of what could be saved if they did. 

Almost everyone will agree that charity organizations do an awesome work. Incorporate this idea in your effort. Get people/organizations to sponsor charity work. For example, get promises from them to donate a certain amount of money to their favourite charity or a specific charity for every pound of waste you are able to recycle. Better still, donate your waste to charitable organisation, they can make money from your old cardboard and paper for example.

Last but not least, nothing works as well as facts and figures. 

Many times people fail to do things because they are not aware of the facts and figures involved.  Believe it or not, most people think that one person will not make a difference. You need to show them otherwise. Show them how much energy, trees, etc. they can save if they decide to recycle.

You never know you could  just might grab their attention.

At Be Seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.

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Restaraunt fined for Packaging offences

A Restaurant  has been fined more than £24,000 by the Environment Agency for failing to comply with packaging waste regulations.

How many Scottish restaraunts are unaware of these regulations?

The chain was fined under the name, Gioma UK Ltd, they admitted to failing to register with the Environment Agency, and failing to recover and recycle packaging waste in 2007, 2008 and 2009 by purchasing Packaging Recovery Notes as provided by the Regulations.

The company which runs 14 restaurants, asked the court to take 14 similar matters between 2000 and 2006 into consideration.

Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations, organisations which have an annual turnover in excess of £2 million and handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging per annum, must register with the Environment Agency or a compliance scheme.

Each year, the company must also provide evidence of payment for recovery and recycling of a specified proportion of its packaging. The types of packaging covered by this legislation are wood, aluminium, steel, cardboard and plastic.

The regulations are   required to make companies assess the amount of packaging they handle and, to try and limit its use. The monies raised is directly invested in the recycling industry.

Many organisations remain unaware of their responsibilities despite details being available in trade journals, through trade organisations and online.

Environment Agency spokesperson said: “The Producer Responsibility Regulations are in place to encourage a reduction in the amount of packaging used by businesses and to decrease the disposal of packaging waste to landfill.

“Although these regulations have been in place for over a decade, many businesses still remain unaware of their responsibilities. The money that Gioma (UK) Ltd has saved by not purchasing Packaging Recovery Notes would have directly supported the recycling industry.”

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9 Charged over WEEE

Nine people have been charged by the Environment Agency with offences relating to the export of electrical waste to West Africa.

Companies in Lanarskhire, and indeed the rest of the UK, need to be aware of their obligations under the WEEE regulations, or face the consequences

The nine people charged have been bailed to attend Havering Magistrates Court at 2pm on November 11, 2010.

This follows an investigation by the Environment Agency, the biggest of it’s kind, to date.

The law is clear that broken electricals, such as mobiles, laptops and TVs cannot be sent overseas for disposal. Electrical waste contains hazardous substances including mercury and lead that are harmful to people and the environment.

Andy Higham of the Environment Agency, said: “Over the past two years painstaking intelligence work by Environment Agency officers has uncovered a web of individuals and companies that appear to be making considerable sums of money by exporting electrical waste overseas.

“Exporters of broken electricals put at risk the lives of those who work on waste sites in developing countries. These are often children who are paid a pittance to dismantle products containing hazardous waste. Illegal exporters also avoid the costs of recycling in the UK and undermine law-abiding business.

“It is always a crime to export broken electricals and hazardous waste from the UK to developing countries to be dumped. The last thing we want is our waste causing harm to people or the environment overseas.”

The  investigations began in mid-2008, during this it was uncovered a network of individuals, waste companies and export businesses were allegedly involved in the export of electrical waste.

In some instances, it has been  suggested that considerable sums of money changed hands in deals to collect and recycle electrical waste while treatment costs were avoided.

Over six million electrical items, amounting to one million tones, are thrown away in the UK every year.

Currently, half of the 18 investigations the Environment Agency’s National Crime Team is currently conducting into the illegal export of waste are in relation to electrical waste.

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Glasgow| WEEE Recycling, why should we recycle WEEE?

 

Benefit of Recycling

Recycling is an important way for individuals and businesses to reduce the waste they generate and reduce the negative impact of that waste. Because recycling is big business in Ohio, every time you recycle, it also supports the many companies and employees doing this important work. Recycling conserves our natural resources, saves landfill space, conserves energy, and reduces water pollution, air pollution and the green house gas emissions that cause global warming. Together, Reducing, Reusing, Recycling and buying Recycled products make up a comprehensive waste and resource reduction strategy that benefits our natural world and our economy.

Saving natural resources and natural areas

Making products with recycled material slows the depletion of non-renewable resources such as metal, oil and natural gas, and reduces the encroachment of new mining and drilling operations. Conserving renewable resources through recycling also helps preserve undisturbed land and natural diversity by reducing the amount of land needed for agriculture and timber production.

Saving energy

It generally takes less energy to make products with recycled materials than virgin materials, often significantly less. For example, it takes 20 times more energy to make aluminium from bauxite ore than using recycled aluminium. Recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to power a computer for 3 hours. Benefits of reduced energy consumption include reduced costs and reduced dependence on foreign suppliers.

Reducing pollution

Because most energy in Ohio is generated by burning fossil fuels, using less energy means generating less water and air pollution–especially the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Recycling also reduces other forms of pollution as well: Runoff from mining operations and farms, soil erosion and the toxic chemicals released when raw materials are processed.

Conserving landfill space

Everything that goes into a landfill stays there, taking up space. As waste breaks down—which can take hundreds of years—it releases the greenhouse gas methane and can emit many toxic pollutants into our water table. Keeping recyclable items out of our landfills keeps air and water cleaner, reduces the need for Ohio to build new or expanded landfills, and conserves resources by putting existing materials back to good use.

Creating industry and jobs

Recycling isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for business. UK firms are among industry leaders in research and development of recycled-content products and mechanical and chemical systems for recycling material into new products.

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Too Much Waste

Landfill sites in and around Glasgow, in fact in the UK Landfill sites, will

be full in less than eight years unless we see a major shift in recycling rates.

Glasgow needs to drastically improve on recycling within the city, both businesses and consumer.

However business needs to be doing considerably more than what it is, hence the reason for the introduction of the Zero Waste Scotland Plan.

SEPA, from October 2010, can now request waste records from ANY business. At present SEPA are working out the finer details of how they are

going to police this new law. We will also be seeing certain waste being banned from landfill in the coming months.

The public, and indeed business,  needs to be aware of the urgency of the situation, and the financial bite they will feel if the problem is not addressed.

The UK is sending more waste to landfill than any other country in Europe and is heading for huge fines if it fails to rein in the amount of waste it is burying in the ground.

Council tax payers are likely to pick up the bill if this happens.
Radical reforms are needed, say council leaders.

Householders, shops, businesses and manufacturers all have a vital role to play in protecting the environment and in cutting the amount of rubbish that is produced and thrown away.

LGA figures suggest at current rates of waste disposal Britain will hit its landfill limit in 2018.

The chairman of the LGA Environment Board, said: “For decades people used to be able to throw away their rubbish without worrying about the environmental or financial consequences.

“Those days have gone. Taxpayers face huge financial penalties if targets to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill are not met.

“Householders should be congratulated for the efforts they have made in recent years to increase the amount of rubbish they recycle.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that Britain is fast running out of space to dump rubbish in the ground.

“With the current financial squeeze that all councils are facing, it is more important than ever that they work with residents to make sure as much rubbish as possible is recycled to avoid being hit by heavy fines.”

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Recycling: It Really Is Simple, Try It

There are actually a lot of things that we can recycle: Electrical & Electronic equipment, Water, Energy, Paper, Metal, Aluminium Cans, Glass, Plastic, Styrofoam, Steel, & even junk mail. All of these things, as you know, could end up in a landfill or even worse, in the ocean. 

The basic principle of Recycling is to collect items that have been used and reprocess. Allowing  them to  be used againand again;  simple?

Of course you don’t do this yourself, or could you? When we recycle,  pretty much means that energy is saved. When a manufacturing company decides to make new stuff out of old stuff, it saves a lot of energy. A good example of this would be the recycling of cardboard, used in hospital bedpans for example; all of the carboard in the bedpans is recycled & can be recycled again. 

By Recycling  you not only make this planet a better place to live, but also reduce pollution & improve environmental conditions. By simply recycling as much as we can, you help prevent the global climate change, reduce greenhouse gases and cut the amount of fuel used!

By doing all this, it leads to us and companies saving natural resources. For example: If the all the tabloid newspapers were to recycle all of the newspapers that they print every single day, there wouldn’t be the need to cut & kill a thousand trees a day.

Trees in different rain forests are being cut down at an alarming rate, according to some researchers we could see no more trees left in a few years time, though how accurate that statement is I do not know, but it stands to reason that if you continue to take more than you put back eventually you will be left with nothing. This is the same with all fossil fuels as well. 

Not only are you helping the world, but you’re saving money!

It is expensive to start production on new products with new materials, manufacturers are going to want that money reimbursed so they can continue making the expensive products. When you buy things that are recycled, it’s obviously cheaper to make, though the marketeers of the large manufacturers would have us believe otherwise, greenwashing at it’s worst! In effect we should be able to buy recycled goods for a low price. Even when you think about it, all the waste & rubbish that isn’t recycled is taking up space in landfills, which are fast becoming full.

Whatever you may think about recycling, be it, in your opinion, another “hippie” movement, at be motivated to do your part, the alternatives, fines for not recycling and destruction of our world as we know it, it unthinkable. No One is saying you have to become obsessed with it, all that is being suggested is that every little bit you can do is a step in the right direction. The Earth has provided a place to live, grow food, provide raw materials, it’s our turn to think and act responsibly to ensure it continues to do so for future generations.

Recycling is simple, whether it be at home or in the office. Take a look around and look at how much waste that is “thrown” in the bin. Almost all office waste can be recycled simply, it just needs someone like you to get the ball rolling and it won’t just be the environment that benefits.

 

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Carbon Footprint: How Creating a Sustainable Business Makes You Money

Carbon Footprint: How Creating a Sustainable Business Makes You Money

We  should never have to wait to be forced to become more environamentally friendly, yet it seems that, that is exactly what we do, why, when we will save money as a result of being more Eco friendly

Reduce, Recycle and Reuse this is the first stage, and below are some basic ways in which you can take the first steps to saving money.

While Reducing, Reusing and Recycling is key in preventing climate change, offsetting your carbon emissions is also a good option, although it has to be said that offsetting should never replace the 3 R’s

To offset your carbon emissions simply means to neutralize your part in the polluting of our environment.

An example of offsetting could  be a project such as a reforestation, as well as the highlighted projects such as the nAmazon, Scotland also has reforestation projects of it’s own. 

Since carbon dioxide emissions are the principal cause of climate change, planting trees to offsetcarbon emissions is key to promoting a greener environment.

Here’s some other ways to reduce emissions and save money at the same time.

(1) Recycle Toner and Ink Jet Cartridges.  These things, which always run out at the most inopportune time, cost way too much and, contrary to what the big companies than manufacture them proclaim with their “send it in recycling programs” – end up in the landfill, if we don’t recycle,usually in the poorest areas of the world. 

(2) Use Less and Buy Recycled Paper.  Back in the early 90′s when email was gaining popularity we all proclaimed that it was the beginning of the paperless office. It should have been but, it wasn’t.  Paper sales went through the roof because now we had more information to print out, copy and share with each other. Furthermore, as the quality of recycled content paper has gone up to photo quality level and the cost has gone down to below the cost of “new” paper, it clearly makes no sense not to include the procurement of recycled printer and copier paper in your sustainability plan.

(3) Go Paperless with your invoices.

(4) Recycle Everything. Soft drinks cans, newspapers, used equipment, furniture and materials (if you’re manufacturing things) all carry a price. 

Sell your used equipment on EBAY or look for ad’s where a local company will pick up and “recycle” your used equipment.

At Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.

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