Environmental Issues

The growth of conspicuous consumption in Europe and specifically in the United Kingdom has seen the increase in Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE) to an annual figure of 2 million tones (Hester  Harrison, 2009). In 2003 data records that 939,000 tones of domestic equipment was discarded and this figure comprised 93 million items of equipment. The problem of WEEE has therefore become a crucial issue in waste management not only because of its environmental impact but its impact on the utility of resources.

This growing amount of waste has raised concern over the usage of resources in Europe and other parts of the developed world. The 3 Rs of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle have become the mantra in waste management. Reduction of the amount of earths resources that we use is the first principle. This leads to the Reuse of products that we are done with but still have use value for other individuals. Recycling of waste in order to recover as much materials that can be used to make other products and reduce the resources that we obtain from the earth forms the last R in the 3 Rs.

Solid waste is defined as materials that have little or no value to humans. This value is mainly economic (Pichtel, 2005). In this way disposal is preferred as opposed to use of the said waste. Waste disposal has increasingly become a crucial concern of many municipalities and regional governments as its impact on the environment continues to increase. The production of solid waste has increased substantially over the years and its appropriate disposal has become a key concern (Pichtel, 2005). WEEE occupies a specific category of waste which requires specialized handling, segregation and treatment.

United Kingdom law states that electrical and electronic equipment becomes waste when the owner discards it. However, the Environmental Agency considers that electrical and electronic equipment ceases to become waste if it is fully functioning and fit for direct reuse for the purpose it was originally created (E-Inclusion, n.d.). It is on this consideration that WEEE can be treated in two distinct ways where if still functional it can be used and if not it can be appropriately discarded.

The management of WEEE involves the collection of the waste from producers and the eventual segregation and processing of the waster depending on its nature. Various means are employed in each of the many stages that are involved before the waste can be disposed off.

Recycling of WEEE is now a regulated affair with the passing of the WEEE Directive by the European Commission. This directive is to ensure a reduction of damage to the environment by WEEE products. It gives the responsibility of the eventual disposal of WEEE to the producing entities that create the products. This directive has therefore seen more significant efforts to properly dispose of WEEE (Hester  Harrison, 2009).

Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment is meant to be properly disposed once it is voluntarily surrendered as waste by the end user. According to the WEEE Directive the desire is to reduce the amount of WEEE that ends up in land fills by increasing the amount that is recycled and recovered (Hester  Harrison, 2009). Recycling of WEEE has come a long way though there still is more room for technology to automate the process.

E-Inclusions Concept and Practice
In Newport, United Kingdom a new type of organization is changing the phase of WEEE waste management by combining the concept of recovery with a component of social inclusion called e-inclusion. E-inclusion is the process of informing and educating disadvantaged communities on the internet and other information technology applications by re-using technology equipment. E-Inclusion Recycling Community Interest Company is an authorized collector of Computer equipment, a substantial part of WEEE, from companies, government departments and other institutions. It recovers and puts to use the re-usable components of WEEE and then disposes of the rest through its partner Sims Metals Plc. The company is organized under the Community Interest Company Law where the organizations profits go to the e-inclusion programs that it runs and coordinates.

E-Inclusions Role in Waste Management
E-Inclusion recycles and re-uses Electrical and Electronic Equipment it obtains from the various organizations it collects WEEE waste from. These organizations donate the equipment only when they have fully used it and now designate it as waste for disposal. The company has already complied with the WEEE Directive and it ensures that all WEEE that cannot by recycled or recovered is disposed off appropriately through its partner Sims Metal Plc (E-Inclusion, n.d.). This is very important since the illegal toxic trade of WEEE has become rampant in the United Kingdom where companies illegally ship WEEE into non-OECD countries (Basel Action Network, 2009)such as Ghana and Nigeria in Africa.
The WEEE is taken through various processes before the non recoverable and non recyclable parts are disposed off. These processes vary depending on the actual equipment being processed but all are geared to recover the various parts of the WEEE that can be salvaged (Hester  Harrison, 2009).

E-inclusion keeps a record of all waste transferred through these processes by using Waste Transfer Notices as decreed by the Duty of Care directives for WEEE (E-Inclusion, n.d.). This is useful in being able to track the movement of waste as it is heading to final disposal. The various wastes are segregated in to various categories in order to aid the efficient recycling and recovery of the waste materials. Five categories can be identified in the treatment of WEEE. These are categorized as follows
Refrigeration Equipment This requires special treatment under the Ozone Depleting Substances Regulation

Other Large Household Appliances with huge amounts of metal that can be extracted
Equipment containing CRTs and LCDs has to be handled separately due to the broken glass hazards
Linear and Compact Fluorescent tubes are segregated to prevent contamination and allow easier recycling

All Other WEEE are processed together since there are no known concerns about health and safety during processing (Hester  Harrison, 2009)

The above categories allow for the safe management of WEEE and increase the recovery and recycling benefits from the waste. WEEE requires certain important considerations of which segregation forms a huge part. Segregation of WEEE forms a crucial step in its safe management. (Hester  Harrison, 2009) In order to ease the process of recycling WEEE it is mandatory to start separation of the materials right from when they are being collected. This is a key feature in recycling (Carless, 1992).

Perhaps the most understated part of waste management is the collection and transportation of the waste (Bilitewski et.al., 1996). The efficient and effective collection of WEEE requires that from the initial collection many of the parts of the WEEE are segregated. CRTs and LCDs cannot be mixed with other wastes due to the risk of shattering during transportation. This stage of the waste management where collection, segregation and transportation feature, account for over 60 of the cost of waste management (Bilitewski et.al, 1996). E-inclusion recycling commits to carrying out its business in a manner that reduces the carbon footprint of its business. This informs the use of appropriate segregation mechanisms to prevent contamination of wastes during transport and collection.

E-Inclusion, the Digital Divide and the Impact to the Environment and Community
In todays society there exists substantial numbers of people who are disadvantaged socially, economically and even physically. These people need assistance in being able to achieve their aspirations in life much more than other sub groups in society who are substantially well off. The emergence of the internet has created a very strong disruptive force in society which has resulted in those who are more heeled economically and otherwise to forge faster ahead in accumulation of resources as well as economic benefits. Cyber-pessimists elude that this trend will continue unabated and that eventually the gap between the rich and the poor will be a huge chasm. There are however various people who think otherwise (Norris, 2001).

E-Inclusion has forged a business model out of the recycling and re-use of WEEE and extended their business to the creation and management of social inclusion programs in Newport.

E-Inclusion collects various designated WEEE but goes the extra step of creating programs where poor people can access technology cheaply by re-using various computers that have been discarded by institutions. This a very innovative solution to the growing problem of proper and environmentally friendly disposal of WEEE and the growing digital divide between the rich and the poor even in developed countries such as the UK.

E-Inclusion Recycling therefore contributes to the greater need for more social inclusion by managing waste management enterprise in such a manner as to afford to create inclusion opportunities for the under privileged in society. The company has invested in the community by creating employment and bringing back its profits in to the community through various social inclusion programs. These programs are important in allowing access to technology. Technology is very powerful and can allow communities to connect and even transact with others around the world who may require their services. In this way technology inclusion programs are at the cornerstone of Newports social inclusion initiatives in the greater context of the UK and the European Commission.

In 2007 Newport was crowned as the greenest city in Britain. The city recorded a carbon footprint of 2.78 planets (Livingstone, 2007). This means that they were using the resources of 2.78 earths. Although this is not the ideal, it was the lowest in Britain and worthy of recognition. E-Inclusion recycling company had a lot to do with Newports accolade. In part the business model that underlies E-Inclusion Recycling C.I.C is phenomenal.

A substantial number of the people who serve on the board as well as participate in the day to day activities and processes of E-Inclusion are drawn from the same marginalized neighborhoods that the company serves via its programs. This can only be appreciated by a look at the broader context of resources use and the world as a whole.

While Citys such as Newport use 2.78 earths worth of resources India uses only 0.4 earths resources (Livingstone, 2007). It is these countries and regions that enable other regions to use more than their fair share of resources. The same analogy can be brought to bear on Newport where wealthy and middle class households use more of the resources than poor neighborhoods. In order to change this, a resource balance is needed.

C.I.C like E-Inclusion Recycling are at the very core of changing the social dynamics of the societies they function in. First they assist in re-use of resources and recycling of resources by collecting waste from governments and companies and ensuring their appropriate disposal. This has a huge impact on the usage of resources.

A principal goal of recycling is the maximization of recovery and re-use of resources. The goal is to reduce the amount of resources that end up inland fills never to be used again. E-Inclusion Recycling C.I.C therefore creates this enabling environment where the Computing resources in equipment can be harnessed at lower cost to the environment and to the communities that are able to re-use them.
The goal of the government in creating Community Interest Companies was to empower communities through enterprise. The curious case in Newport is the empowering of communities and the efficient use of the world resources. As we noted before the increase of WEEE has been substantial and will continue to increase as more and more products are churned out of manufacturing companies in to households and businesses and even governments. By using the recoverable portions of WEEE in communities that are underprivileged these communities are empowered to up lift themselves in a sustainable way. This has greatly impacted Newport by bridging its digital divide as well as conserving its environment.

One of the most important effets of E-Inclusions focus on recycling and recovery of Computer equipment is the huge cost incurred in disposing of waste in conventional land fills. The collection and transportation of waste regardless of its nature forms a big part of the costs of waste management (Denison et.al, 1990). Often huge environmental costs are incurred by the communities that live next to the land fills where most waste eventually ends up. By handling a substantial part of the process involving computer equipment waste disposal E-Inclusion assists in stemming the toxic trade in waste to non OECD countries.

Countries such as Ghana in Africa have seen excessive illicit dumping of so called digital waste via the toxic trade of WEEE from OECD countries through unscrupulous companies (Basel Action Network, 2009). E-Inclusion has committed itself to contracting with reputable disposal firms such as Sims Metals Plc which adopt the WEEE Directive and are in tune with the Duty of Care principles that E-Inclusion functions within. This has continued to increase the benefits to the whole community on Newport as well as stem the trade in toxic waste. A look at the horrid conditions these illegal dumping practices create underlines the importance of companies such as E-Inclusion C.I.C.

Recommendations for E-Inclusion Community Interest Company
E-Inclusion can expand its services in to the recycling of other forms of WEEE such as mobile phones which account for a substantial amount of WEEE. These phones can be easily recycled in order to obtain the metals and plastics that are used to create them and use them in other manufacturing processes. E-Inclusion can begin collecting these devices from neighborhoods as a pilot project in order to begin recovering more forms of WEEE.