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‘New ruling could close my business’

Barbara Canning
26/11/2003

A TAMESIDE businessman is appealing for help after he launched a campaign to save his business from ruin.

Kevin Maddox has collected more than 500 signatures for his campaign to stop Parliament from passing a bill which, he says, would ruin his Cartridge World business in Hyde.

And he is hoping the Hyde and Stalybridge MP, James Purnell, can help keep his ink cartridge firm afloat by influencing the new bill before it becomes UK legislation.

Mr Maddox says the Waste Electrical and Economic Equipment Directive aims to cope with the amount of waste generated within the EU, but unless Parliament classes ink cartridges in Britain as electrical equipment they could, inadvertently, close hundreds of ink refill businesses.

"If they are classed as consumables rather than electrical equipment it could let the American and Japanese manufacturers build in something called a killer chip to stop cartridges being re-used," he said.

"Refilling cartridges makes up about 75 per cent of my business so naturally I am very concerned that the UK Government's interpretation of the EU directive will play into the hands of the big printer cartridge manufacturers and effectively close my business."

He said this would also mean an end to cheap ink cartridge alternatives and, ironically, increase waste production because fewer cartridges would be recycled.

Mr Purnell said: "This is obviously something which could impact this business and recycling is an important issue. I will be looking into whether anything can be done to help."