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You may be in agreement even as you read this, but the impact on both consumers and producers of electronic goods will be felt very soon.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive seeks to recycle 4kg of electronic waste per household per year and be made part of national law by the end of 2006.

Dell's survey reveals there is much to be done: 70 per cent of those surveyed failed to recycle their laser toner cartridges - mainly because they didn't know it was possible - and nearly three-quarters said they would donate their old computer to charity, but 52 per cent didn't know they could.

Furthermore, almost 10 per cent of British households currently risk prosecution by dumping
their old computer hardware in their domestic wheelie

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bins.

'There is a real lack of understanding of the options open to consumers looking to dispose of their old computer hardware. Many do not know you can recycle or donate your old equipment to charity today, at no cost at all to the owner,' says Pat Nathan, Dell's global Sustainable Business Director. 'More needs to be done to raise consumer awareness of the services available, like Dell's free, simple, legal and environmentally responsible computer disposal offering.'

Dell is launching a free consumer recycling and charitable donations service whereby you can register on its website to have any computer system, monitor or printer collected for recycling or donation to charity.

Dell will try to pick up the goods within five working days after a request has been made and either deliver them to their recycling partners or donate them to the National Cristina Foundation (although the charity service won't be in operation until the end of the year.

As a past master in logistics, Dell is one of the first to offer such a scheme in the UK, but expect more soon. Part of the WEEE Directive makes producers responsible for recycling their goods, obligating them to get involved with such initiatives.

To take part in Dell's scheme, log onto the www.dell.co.uk/recycling.