WEEE.(Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)

IP2 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-05-2008, 16:35

Picture the scene:

Mr Shop Keeper many years ago bought up a few electrical items to sell, they didn't sell that well, so they sat in his stockroom for a couple of years until one day while clearing out his stockroom he decides to get rid of them on the likes of E-bay and Amazon, the items if he is lucky may fetch a few hundred pounds, but it will clear some space and put a little money in the bank. A happy ending for Mr Shop Keeper?

Well not quite...since Mr Shop Keeper bought those goods, Mr European Union a dim but powerful man and his green friends had decided to impose a tax known as the WEEE directive on any business selling electrical goods and on news of Mr Shop Keeper selling off his old unwanted stock drove round to pay him a visit in their petrol thirsty BMWs.

"Mr Shop Keeper if you wish to sell those electrical goods, you must first pay us £600" said Mr European Union...adding with a wry smile and a menacing tone "ANNUALLY"

"B.B.But they are not worth £600" stuttered Mr Shop Keeper in astonishment!

Before Mr Shop Keeper could say another word, Mr European Union's little green men brought half a tree into his shop which had been freshly chopped down from a rain forest in Brazil "And you will need to fill in all these forms" added Mr European Union.

"Whatever for?" questioned Mr Shop Keeper, while trying not to let his jaw hit the stapler on his counter.

"It is for ecological reasons" chirped up one of the green men, rubbing his hands in a gleeful manner. "You are helping to save the planet by filling in all this paperwork" added another. "You don't want to harm our environment dooo you Mr Shop Keeper?"

"W..w..Welll" Mr Shop Keeper started stammering again..."are there any other alternatives?"

After an initial look of bewilderment from Mr European Union and his green men, one timidly raised his hand, "Err you could throw all the electrical items away" a brief silence ensued before another green man turned and as if the light had been turned on, smiled and agreed "YES you could throw all the electrical items away, then you would not be selling them, then you would not have to pay the fees and we would not need to chop a rain forest down for you to fill in our paperwork"

Suddenly there was uproar as the green men started to high five each other at the shear brilliance of the idea, so delighted were they, that they helped Mr Shop Keeper carry all his unused electrical goods to the landfill site, before driving off in their large fuel burning cars.

After they had gone Mr Shop Keeper sat down for a nice brew and put his legs up on the rain forest tree that they had left in his shop, knowing that by throwing all his brand new electrical goods in the landfill site he had done his bit for the environment!

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I was having a tongue in cheek moment!

Appreciate you may wish to move this!