CRS GIVES COMPANIES PEACE OF MIND ON THE PUNITIVE WEEE DIRECTIVE

Added: (Tue Feb 06 2007)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Today Computer Remarketing Services (CRS) launches a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) consultation service for businesses concerned at the strict Europe-wide legislative burden which comes into force in July 2007 and which can lead to unlimited fines for company directors; even criminal prosecutions.

The imminent legislation has left many businesses confused as to what their responsibilities will be when disposing of surplus electronic equipment, and current guidelines show that it will affect not only manufacturers but all importers, distributors, retailers, re-sellers and the end-users, even those who may reasonably believe that they�ve complied with the law. Here are some points to be aware of concerning the WEEE Directive:

� Courts can issue unlimited fines and individuals can be criminally prosecuted
� The business user will be held accountable if WEEE is not managed correctly
� The Environment Agency and DEFRA will pursue the person who last used the equipment not just the person who carried out any illegal dumping
� The government�s approach has been that business users will know what to do when it comes to compliance i.e. organisations should know how to interpret the regulations and therefore do whatever is right

In order to satisfy that last point and give directors of any company which uses I.T. equipment peace of mind; CRS� new service will provide companies with simple, free-of-charge digestible information on the WEEE Directive. As part of this service businesses will be able to gain access to updated information through the CRS website or subscribe to a free newsletter for regular updates. For those that need more (chargeable) in-depth information an initial telephone consultation is offered and for those that want to outsource their �WEEE� needs to CRS a subsequent visit will be scheduled.

Terry Maguire, Managing Director of CRS feels that, �more should be done by the government to ensure that companies really appreciate the implications of the WEEE Directive. It is great to encourage re-use but it is imperative that everyone understands the basics of the scheme to ensure that businesses here do not face the kind of unprecedented court-imposed fines recently levied on Boots Retail (Ireland), where the scheme has been in place for a year�.

CRS� WEEE consultation service is available to all companies who register on www.crs-uk.biz. CRS has in-depth knowledge and business expertise gained through working in the I.T. remarketing and recycling industry for over 27 years. CRS regularly attends and contributes to the Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling (ICER) meeting on the WEEE legislation, and the WEEE Advisory Group (WAG) meetings along with the DTI and Defra.

-Ends-
Notes to editors
CRS is a computer remarketing company that specialises in the redeployment and recycling of I.T. equipment; established in the UK in 1980 as part of the publicly listed Swiss group COS AG. In January 2001 it acquired Comdisco Direct, the UK asset disposal arm of a US leasing organisation, and in spring 2004 CRS was sold to the UK management.
CRS operate from a 10,000 sqft facility in Milton Keynes where it processes, re-markets or disposes of thousands of systems each year. The company holds ISO9001-2000 quality standard approval from the British Standards Institute and in 2003 CRS obtained Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling (ICER) accreditation for the refurbishment of I.T. equipment.

For further information on CRS or the WEEE Directive visit www.crs-uk.biz or contact:
Terry Maguire
Tel: 01908 656700
Email: terry.maguire@crs-uk.biz

For further press information please contact:
Natalie Oliver or Simon Bibby at Verve Public Relations
Tel: 01908 275271
Fax: 01908 275272
Email: n.oliver@vervepr.co.uk or s.bibby@vervepr.co.uk