IT-recycling is WEEELABEX certified Weeelabex – weee recycling
This standard is still relatively unknown in the Netherlands, but has substantial consequences for the recycling and disposal of hardware and WEEE recycling. Did you know, for example, that you can even get a fine if you have a random company dispose of your electronics? Read the information below on WEEELABEX certification.
WEEELABEX: Make sure you only do business with certified parties!
Many of our colleagues in the industry mention all the great certificates they have been awarded, or say they have been awarded, on their website. There is in fact only one certification that truly matters: WEEELABEX. This certification is actually required by law. We advise everyone to check carefully whether the party you are doing business with is WEEELABEX certified. This is easy to check, because the registration can be viewed on their website at WEEELABEX.ORG
What is the WEEELABEX certification?
The WEEELABEX certification is the new European standard required for companies that process depreciated computers. This includes companies that destroy data and/or parties that procure used computers for re-selling. It is a statutory standard which all processors and producers must abide by since 1 July 2015. The WEEELABEX standard provides uniform rules for the collection, storage, transport, processing, recycling, and re-use of e-waste.
The objective of the WEEELABEX standard is to ascertain whether companies that process electronic waste (including depreciated computer hardware) reach the minimum required degree of recycling. For example, the European Union has determined that at least 85% of the depreciated computers must be re-used. Re-use is defined as re-use as a machine
, or re-used as raw materials such as metals or plastics.
Why was the WEEELABEX standard introduced?
In the past, much computer-related waste ended up in third world countries, where it was processed in extremely environmentally unfriendly ways. Furthermore, it is often harmful to the health of the people who are involved in the process. The authorities have decided to do something against this by introducing a quality standard.
There are significant requirements to be met in order to reach the WEEELABEX standard, which can only be achieved by the best companies. Hence the somewhat peculiar name:
WEEE stands for Waste of Electronic and Electric Equipment and LABEX for Label of Excellence.
IT-recycling was successfully awarded the WEEELABEX certification, with a score of 100%. As a company, we are very proud of this result and it underlines our sustainable ambitions.
What is the process for being awarded the WEEELABEX certification?
The process for the certification for the new standard involves a comprehensive audit and a batch test. During the audit, not only the effectiveness of the recycling process is checked, but also the quality, environmental management, health & safety, and data destruction. In order to have the audit at all, you already need to be in possession of the ISO9001 and/or ISO14001 certification. The audit, however, hoes beyond the ISO9001 and ISO14001 standards and there are even stricter requirements to be met.
During the subsequent batch test a certain number of depreciated computers is processed and tested, or data destroyed. During this process the results are carefully analysed in order to ultimately, together with the results of the audit, calculate accurate recycling numbers.
Prevent fines and select IT-recycling with WEEELABEX certification
This means that we can present clients, where we collect depreciated computers and/or destroy data, with fully accurate numbers regarding the processing rate of all the computer waste we collected. This is important for you to know as well, because if you select a non-certified processor, you run the risk of significant fines.
Opt for the guaranteed quality offered by IT-recycling
At IT-recycling we guarantee that we will process your hardware according to the WEEELABEX standards. If you dispose of your depreciated computers through our services, you are also given full transparency on what happens to the computer waste.
Would you like to know more about the options? Please contact us without any obligations, or click here for a short summary of the recycling numbers by IT-recycling. Would you like to know more about WEEELABEX in the Netherlands? Please visit the official WEEELABEX website.
