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Computer Recycling.

Computer recycling, computer re-use, e-waste, e-reduce, e-recycle, WEEE; the list goes on and on but basically they all mean the same thing….we cannot keep putting our old computers into the ground via the local dump and landfill. A PC contains 100 poisons! Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead just being a few of them; imagine a thousand computers buried in your nearest landfill, the toxicity from those poisons leaching into the ground, then the water table and then into you!

  The WEEE, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive has been around for a while, looking at fridges and freezers and the CFC’s that are within them but now it is the turn of IT and Telecoms equipment. In the USA it is estimated that just 6% of the computers there are re-used or recycled, that is with a population in excess of 250,000,000 people! Computers must be stacked to the rafters, in cupboards or buried in huge landfills. This cannot be sustained there or here; we can help you to manage the end life of your ICT assets whether it be for shipment to Africa , re-use to benefit somebody else or the breaking down to component parts we are there to help. Have a look at www.recyclemypc.co.uk and see how we can take your problems away.  

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Second Hand Laptop?

Have you ever bought or sold a second hand laptop? Or even a PC, PDA or mobile ‘phone?

Let’s look at buying one first, you have this lovely laptop in your possession which you show to your friends, family and colleagues; one of them presses a button and the most unsavoury images flash up on the screen much to your embarrassment. But how can you prove that they don’t belong to you and were downloaded by the previous owner or the owner before that…? It will not be easy but hopefully it will be treated as a joke but what if the authorities become involved, what then? Hopefully the dates on the files will put you in the clear but system clocks can be changed to give false creation dates. If Dr. Harold Shipman had known that when creating his false patient records he would probably still be around now.

You have bought this hardware in good faith but if the seller has been so unwise not to get it wiped first before handing it to you do you want to take the risk? You can get the drives wiped so you can use the hardware with complete peace of mind.

On the flipside what about when you come to sell, donate or recycle your personal or business hardware? Do you want complete strangers looking at the contents of your computer? Delete, shift + delete and even repeated formatting will not do the job. With a minimal amount of skill and free software it is possible to retrieve most things; credit card details, personal letters, contracts, customer lists, photos of the kids, those saucy snaps you took when you got a little tipsy on holiday….Whatever it is you do not want to let other people see it if you can help it. The consequences of your data, personal or business entering the public domain could be disastrous so don’t let it happen!

Come to www.recyclemypc.co.uk and we’ll take the headache away…permanently!  

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Recycling your PC or laptop?

Are you considering recycling your Mac, laptop or PC? Well have a good think about it before you do.

Lots of major manufacturers are offering you free recycling for all types of hardware; they will send you a label and as long as it is properly packaged you can send it to them straight away.

But are there a few snags entangled in these services? Well with one you have to buy a new system from them which may or may not be a problem and it may be what attracted to them in the first place.

But what about your data? All those photos, letters, credit card numbers, passwords, customer lists, contracts? The list could go on forever but that’s not the point; what guarantee do you have that the drives on your machine will be wiped so that the data can never be seen again? What will happen to your drives if they are not wiped of all content and data? Will they be put into another system, an operating system put onto it and then sold on? Who will be looking at your data?

Then there is the subject of this free recycling; who is actually going to benefit from this service? We should be looking at re-use in place of recycling; what is the point of making a PC into a plant pot when it can still be used as a PC? Your hardware could benefit other people less fortunate than yourself but if you give it to a manufacturer dangling the lure of a free service where will it end up? We are not saying that these offers are not legitimate but you should investigate the process before making your decision. Will these companies make money from your generosity?

We at www.recyclemypc.co.uk can help you make the decision. We can tell you if your hardware has a residual value or not. If you want the value passed onto a specific charity or initiative we can help with this from start to finish. Asset management on a personal or business footing is our speciality combined with our social enterprise for employment and training can make your redundant hardware valuable for a long, long time to come. For a professional service with a down to earth attitude call 0800 877 8443 today.  

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The WEEE Directive
Electrical Retailers and the WEEE Directive
How much lead is there in a CRT, Cathode Ray Tube computer monitor or even a TV?

The WEEE Directive, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, states in plain terms that any commercial or business user of Information and Communication Technology equipment will be legally responsible for the treatment, recovery and transport of all such equipment purchased before the 13th August 2005, unless you're buying new equipment to replace obsolete hardware on a like-for-like basis. When you buy a new PC for instance or even a TV, the shop you are purchasing from is obligated to help you dispose of your old hardware…but will they? More details about the Directive and advice can be found at www.dti.gov.uk

The objectives of the WEEE directive (Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) are: To prevent the generation of electrical and electronic waste and to promote reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery in order to reduce and minimise the quantity of such waste to be eliminated, whilst also improving the environmental performance of economic operators involved in its treatment. To approximate the laws of the Member States on restricting the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment in order to contribute to the recovery and elimination of equipment waste and the protection of human health. www.dti.gov.uk

Scope.

This Directive applies to the following categories of electrical and electronic equipment: Large and small household appliances.

• IT and Telecommunications equipment;
• Consumer equipment;
• Lighting equipment;
• Electrical and Electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools);
• Toys, leisure and sports equipment;
• Medical devices (with the exception of implanted and infected products);
• Monitoring and control instruments;
• Automatic dispensers.

More information can be found here

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Recovery of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

Producers of electrical and electronic equipment must apply the best available treatment, recovery and recycling techniques. Such treatment is to include the removal of fluids and selective treatment in accordance with Annex II to the WEEE Directive. Waste treatment and storage must be in conformity with Annex III to the WEEE Directive.

Establishments responsible for treatment operations must obtain a permit from the competent and relevant authorities. They are encouraged to participate in the Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS). http://www.emas.org.ukTreatment operations may also be undertaken outside the Member State concerned, or even outside the Community, subject to compliance with Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community. Treatment outside the Community only count for the fulfillment of the targets of the Directive if the exporter can prove that treatment operations took place under appropriate conditions that are equivalent to the requirements of this WEEE Directive. www.dti.gov.uk

Recovery of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

Producers must set up systems for the recovery of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment collected separately.

By the 31 st of December 2006, the rate of recovery by an average weight per appliance must be at least 80% in the case of large domestic appliances and automatic dispensers, 70% in the case of small domestic appliances, lighting equipment, electrical and electronic tools, toys, leisure and sports equipment and monitoring and control instruments, and 75% in the case of IT and telecommunications equipment and consumer equipment. By the same date, the rate of component, material and substance reuse and recycling by an average weight per appliance must be at least 80% in the case of discharge lamps, 75% in the case of large domestic appliances and automatic dispensers, 50% in the case of small domestic appliances, lighting equipment, electrical and electronic tools, toys, leisure and sports equipment and monitoring and control equipment, and 65% in the case of IT and telecommunications equipment and consumer equipment. www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/weee

By the 13th of August 2004, the Commission is to lay down the rules on compliance with the rates specified above. Producers must state the weight of the electrical and electronic waste entering and leaving treatment and recovery or recycling facilities. By 31 December 2008, the European Parliament and the Council are to set new targets for recovery, recycling and reuse.

Financing the WEEE Directive.

By 13 th of August 2005, producers must provide for the financing of the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic equipment. In the case of products placed on the market later than the 13 th of August 2005, each producer is responsible for providing financing in respect of their own products. When a producer places a product on the market, they must provide a guarantee concerning the financing of the management of their waste. Such a guarantee may take the form of participation by the producer in financing schemes, a recycling insurance or a blocked bank account. In the case of products placed on the market before 13 August 2005 ('historical waste'), financing is to be provided by the producers existing on the market, who are, for instance, to contribute proportionately to their share of the market.

By the 13 th of August 2005, financing is to be covered by producers in the case of waste from holders other than private households and placed on the market after that date. In the case of waste from products placed on the market before 13 August 2005, management costs are to be borne by producers. However, Member States may provide that users be made responsible, partly or totally, for this financing. Further information.

What is the Waste Electrical and Electronic Directive?

WEEE

The WEEE Directive aims to minimise the impact of electrical and electronic equipment on the environment during their life cycle and when they become redundant and ultimately waste. It applies to a massive range of products and items. It encourages and sets criteria for the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment.

Who can help a business?

It is vital to note that any Information and Communications Technology, ICT equipment within your premises and manufactured before January 2007 is your responsibility to dispose of, and any costs must be met from the budgets of your business. It is your responsibility to appoint a disposal company like as CJ Computing to ensure you comply with all WEEE regulations, and are provided with the relevant services during the entire process.

Any ICT products manufactured after January 2007 will be supplied with documentation from the manufacturer advising you who to contact when the product becomes redundant and reaches the end of its usefulness to your organisation. In effect, the manufacturer must readily demonstrate a process for disposing of the ICT equipment to comply with the WEEE Directive. At this time there is still discussion rumbling on to how the cost of this service will be presented and ultimately passed onto the business user. It is thought to be more appropriate that when the legislation is confirmed and on the statute, every business will be at liberty to choose and appoint whoever they feel offers them the best and most effective solution.

It has still not been confirmed if Jan 2007 will be an achievable start date for this legislation. Many industry insiders are stating that if January does happen, it is likely to be a 'phased approach' at best. CJ Computing can provide all information ‘expected' to be required by the implementation of the WEEE Directive, so can ensure WEEE compliance at each stage of the legislation. www.dti.gov.uk

Second Hand Data?

So you have educated all your employees in what they can and cannot do within your business when it comes to IT. They know they cannot download executable files and install them. You have made them aware of the dangers of using weak passwords and leaving their laptop unattended could lead to a disciplinary procedure. As a savvy boss with an eye on the market you know you have to be careful with your data that your competition would love to get hold of it. To let your data loose on the outside world would be a huge gamble.

But what about inside your organisation, is your security policy robust? Will it withstand a disgruntled employee? And what about the ones who just stumble across something by mistake? I used to work for a very large US company where the bosses just added the next digit up to the company name as their passwords. These guys travelled all over the world with heaps of data in their possessions but remembering a reasonably complex password? Forget it! It was only after a lot of badgering that they were investigating IPSec…as I was leaving.

What happens when you the boss decides he wants a new laptop or tablet or PDA? You don’t want to throw the old one away; you want to reward someone in your company. You give them your old hardware but do you wipe the data? Do you make it secure to be passed on down the line once, twice or three times before it is finally written off the books and out the door? If you can emphatically trust everyone in your organisation with all of your company information you are in a privileged position indeed. How many stories have you heard of customer lists walking out the door with an employee? You may have told them they cannot do it but if you put it into their laps?

It is a fag to put all the operating system back on again and it will take a little time and money but what is your company worth to you apart from a living? Other peoples living, your home, your marriage…the list goes on.

At the same US Company we knew how much our new financial manager was going to be paid before he did, quite an interesting day!

If you would like practical help and advice on ensuring your data is secure please come to www.recyclemypc.co.uk and we’ll make sure your data stays where it should, in your hands.  

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Identity Theft doesn't just affect individuals….

If your company is looking to upgrade or change its ICT equipment, you may be planning to return leased hardware, or you could be considering to recycle or remarket your PC's and Laptops. Did you realize you and your business could be putting yourself in line to be a possible victim of identity theft? If all the sensitive business, customer and confidential data stored on the hard drive, HDD, or any other media has not been completely wiped and sanitised it could happen to you. Adverse publicity of your company as the direct result of your data falling into the wrong hands could significantly and possibly irreparably damage a company's reputation in one fell swoop. This could become apparent in the loss of valued clients and profits. Failure to comply with current legislation such as the Data Protection Act 1988 could lead to prosecution by the Information Commissioner, this could mean a criminal conviction for all company directors and that could damage your reputation even further or perhaps push you over the edge completely. www.ico.gov.uk/eventual.aspx There are laws to protect you against another company passing themselves off as you www.intellectual-property.gov.uk but with your data gone it could be too late! Remember, data wipe, sanitise, and eradicate whatever you want to call it.

Don't be the next victim!

Business critical, personal and highly sensitive data has been found on cold computers sold on eBay.

This has included user names, passwords and e-mail addresses not to mention employee records, patient details and pupil's home addresses!

Research from the University of Glamorgan, www.glam.ac.uk found from a random sample that over half of the computers tested had data n them from schools, universities and blue chip companies; we have even found one from the government!

It appeared that there had been some attempts to erase the data but most showed this had not been properly executed and huge amounts of data was still easily accessible.

Most of the disks contained enough information for a half way decent hacker to gain access to the companies involved.

Don't let you or your company be a victim, data wipe!

Restriction of Hazardous Substances

‘'What is the RoHS Directive?''

Restrictions of Hazardous Substances is a single market EU directive (This means that each country within the European Union must implement the same detail) and aims to reduce the environmental impact of waste and improve the recyclability of affected substances and products. RoHS is as such, appears to be much simpler to implement than the Waste Electrical and Electronic Directive, WEEE. This is a far smaller piece of legislation than the WEEE directive, and at this time really only applies to the manufacturers of new electrical and electronic equipment.

The legislation states that new electrical devices can no longer be manufactured using the following components:

Please note under the RoHS Directive, certain exemptions apply to medical equipment systems and monitoring and control equipment.

www.netregs.gov.uk

Electrical Retailers and the WEEE Directive

There has been an article in the Irish Sunday Business Post stating that several Irish electronic chain stores have been overcharging customers over a prolonged period of time on a wide range of electronic products. The products in this case vary from computers all the way to bathroom scales.

The shops including two large chains have wrongly placed additional recycling charges on items they mistakenly thought were covered by the legislation. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Directive, WEEE demands that all new items carry an additional cost to help pay for environmentally friendly recycling. In fact they suggest a cost of between €1 and €40.

Unfortunately the companies in question have been adding levies of €2 on items such as mechanical scales and carpet sweepers. Extra charges were also put onto computer equipment which is exempt under industry standards as the cost is already included by the manufacturer. Steps are being taken to examine the entire inventory and remove any and all superfluous costs.

Dermot Jewell, director of the Consumers Association in Ireland expressed no surprise and indicated that the stores were not managing the situation correctly and had no concern regarding the impact on the consumer. Mr Jewell also said that Mr Dick Roche, a government minister had told him personally that if there was any indication of profiteering that action would be taken instantly.

But what action? Shops whether they are independent or part of a chain face prosecution and fines of up to €15,000,000 for the incorrect levy from the Environmental Protection Agency, ( EPA .) (The link here is to the Irish EPA, each country has its own in some form, such as Scotland , SEPA ).

Up to now there has not been any significant action in any part of the European Union, EU and this is being seen as a mistake as indicated by a spokesman for WEEE Ireland.

For assistance and advice come to www.recyclemypc.co.uk

How much lead is there in a CRT, Cathode Ray Tube computer monitor or even a TV?

The answer is a lot! A large CRT monitor can have up to 2.2 kilogram's or 5 pounds of lead in it, mixed into the glass. The lead is mixed into the glass for two reasons:

1. It helps to improve the optical quality of the glass. It is common practice to improve lenses with lead. It is even used in glassware when you hear the term lead crystal, that's exactly what it means. It makes it look prettier.
2. It helps to protect the user and anyone else nearby as a radiation shield from the electrons produced by the electron beam and gun.

The problem is that even the smallest amount of lead can cause poisoning and that is why the amount reaching our landfill must be reduced. All ICT equipment including CRT monitors must be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. (Study of lead in landfills). All the help you need to dispose of all your ICT hardware can be found at www.recyclemypc.co.uk

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Data Recovery, systems and management methods.

Offsite Data Backup

Data is backed up to a secure offsite location via the internet, leased line or broadband services.

VBAK - An automatic online back up and restore solution to help organisations backup their data on a daily basis and have files restored rapidly on request.

VBAK Plus - A fully managed, online data backup, restoration, archiving and business continuity service providing a cost-effective and efficient means of ensuring that vital company data is securely backed up and available online for immediate restoration.

VBAK Lite - A cost effective automatic back-up service particularly suited to the operational needs of businesses who already have or are considering the use of broadband internet connections.

MSS - Managed Storage Services

MSS - provides a fully managed, pay-per-usage SAN based storage solution, to ensure customers company data is secure and available. This managed service dramatically reduces the need for dedicated, costly, highly skilled staff and eliminates up-front capital investment in complex software and hardware solutions.

AIP - Advanced Infrastructure Provision for online applications, comprising managed enterprise-class data centres and bandwidth services provided by a UK wide area private network. The service is designed for companies requiring the infrastructure to transmit applications and data, securely and rapidly.

For further information regarding our terms and conditions of business why not contact our customer help line.

Onsite Data Backup

Data is backed up to a secure onsite server, typically over a local area network. This server is custom built and configured to suit the needs of your business, installed and maintained by CJ Computing personnel either on site or via a control centre.

For further information please call us on Free Phone 0800 877 8443

Recovering data from hard disk drives containing bad sectors Problems: Bad sectors are areas of the hard disk that become unreadable. All hard disk drives are will develop bad sectors eventually, normally sectors that go bad are flagged by the hard disk and not used any further, but if you have valuable data or files that reside on sectors that become bad sectors, you will not be able to access your data or files correctly. Symptoms: The drive may appear to run slowly, specific files may take a long time to access or be completely inaccessible. In severe cases, the entire disk may become inaccessible. Cause: Every type of hard disk is prone to develop bad sectors 'naturally' but this is not always the case. Harsh operating conditions (eg. high temperatures, vibration etc) can cause hard disks to develop a large number of bad sectors very quickly. Recovery possibilities: CJ Computing are often able to correctly reconstruct and recover data that occupies bad sectors. Do Not: Under no circumstances should you run a repair utility such as Scandisk or Chkdsk. This software is unable to repair bad sector damage and there is a very high probability that the files you are trying to recover will become unrecoverable. You can read more about the use and misuse of Scandisk and Chkdsk here. Bad sectors affect all hard disk drives eventually. CJ Computing are often able to recover data that has been lost to bad sectors. A poor memory could cost you dear. How catastrophic would it be for you personally if you were to lose your mobile phone? Or your PDA or laptop? Last year over 60,000 mobile ‘phones, 5000 PDA’s and 4,500 laptops were left in licensed cabs. How many were left on buses, subways, trams or airlines? As mobile technology improves what is really alarming is the amount of data that can be held on such devices; thousands of e-mails, documents and pictures!   Figures vary from country to country but an accepted average is that 10% of laptops will be stolen during their working life. Whilst the value of the hardware is easy to calculate what of its contents? Estimates vary from a few thousand pounds to one case that was worth $8.8 Billion due to the business sensitive data held on the hard drive. On top of that what will happen to the everyday data that is hidden from the naked eye on your hardware? Passwords, Personal Identification Numbers, encryption keys, access points, and the list is endless. The loss of this data could be disastrous in both the professional and personal areas of your life. Security is always paramount from service providers but how effective is it? Passwords can be cracked, systems broken into and new passwords set. It is possible to buy password cracking software for around £65:00; a small price to pay for getting at your wealth because you forgot to pick up your laptop. We had to work on a PC where the client had not left the password as agreed; we cracked it in 10 seconds and changed the administrator password to make it more secure. Research also shows that the backing up of data is not uppermost in people’s minds. With so many home or mobile workers backing up is paramount in business and data safety. The problem is that people see it as a laborious chore that they will do when next in the office. This is because only 42% of companies set this up to run automatically; the rest is down to the individual. Just like the lawyer in the Netherlands who had a multi-million court case on his laptop; it was stolen and he lost his job and the company lost the case; all for the sake of an enforced backup regime. Then there is the situation when you dispose of your hardware. Are you going to leave all that data for somebody to look at five years down the line? Over 50% of computers bought on eBay hold data from their original owners. For assistance with backups, security and data wiping look at www.recyclemypc.co.uk   Click here to see some of our clients.

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