RECYCLING OF COMPUTER PRINTER INK CARTRIDGES

Motion Text

That this House welcomes the European Union Directive which seeks to promote recycling of computer parts; notes that the European Parliament made provision in the Directive to prevent manufacturers from adapting printer cartridges to inhibit recycling; further notes that the Department for Trade and Industry currently deems printer cartridges to be consumables, and therefore outside the scope of the EU legislation; regrets the large number of ink cartridges currently being sent to landfill sites, or being sent abroad for crushing; congratulates the companies which operate environmentally friendly cartridge recycling schemes, preventing the use of landfill for disposal and offering inexpensive recycled ink cartridges to individuals, schools and small businesses; calls upon the Government to ensure that such schemes are not forced to close by large international manufacturers using microchip technology to prevent recycling; and further calls on the Government to put an end to uncertainty by deeming computer printer cartridges to fall within the scope of the EU Directive.