Access North Ayr, a Scottish charity specialising in local economic regeneration and employment training, has announced an exciting new venture that will create new jobs at the same time as helping to protect the environment.
The European Commission, in partnership the with UK government, is set to enforce new regulations regarding the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment. These regulations are known as the WEEE directive.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive sets targets for companies and organisations to avoid sending all electrical/electronic equipment to landfill by 2006, with systems to be in place by next year.
No longer is it acceptable or environmentally friendly to leave electrical equipment buried away, left to be dealt with by the next generation.
Sophisticated destruction techniques would be one answer. But Access North Ayr is aiding organisations and companies to comply with the directive by uplifting and refurbishing equipment for re-use, and at the same time creating new jobs in North Ayr.
Access North Ayr is a SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) approved organisation. It is a community enterprise that runs a not-for- profit service, uplifting everything from IT equipment to fridges, cookers and washing machines.
IT equipment is refurbished and re-used by the voluntary sector, with long-term unemployed adults being given PCs to improve their IT literacy and their job prospects.
Some IT equipment such as PCs, monitors and servers are sold to small businesses, creating an income for Access North Ayr which goes to support adult literacy and numeracy projects.
Local authorities, public bodies and major organisations are set to use this new service, called TRASH I.T., not only supporting the “˜green’ ethos, but also getting unemployed people back into gainful employment.
The voluntary sector, who possibly couldn’t afford state-of-the-art computers, can also benefit from the factory-standard refurbished computers supplied by Access North Ayr.
Access North Ayr business development manager Ian MacMaster said: “Anybody looking to trade up to a designer kitchen and who would like others to benefit form their old appliances, as well as organisations replacing their existing IT infrastructure, should contact Access North Ayr. We will help them to dispose of their old equipment in full compliance with the WEEE directive, as well as helping to save the planet!”
Access North Ayr
Access North Ayr was formed in the autumn of 1998, and aims to improve access to job opportunities for all residents of the North Ayr Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) who are either currently involved in, or wish to join the labour market, by developing the necessary skills and other personal qualities.
Access North Ayr carries out this aim through the provision of relevant vocational guidance, training, work experience, childcare and other appropriate support.
This brings economic benefit not only to these individuals and their families, but also to North Ayr as a whole.
