The problem of what to do with clapped-out electronic equipment continues to tax the EU's best minds. The alternatives are straightforward enough: you can take it to be lovingly dismantled and recycled; or you can simply bury it. The former, while highly desirable, is expensive; the latter, an ultimately unsustainable option as vast tracts of countryside are converted into poisoned dumping grounds.

There is, happily, a compromise alternative which uses existing facilities and infrastructure to dispose of unwanted kit without placing a further burden on the environment, or the taxpayer. Reader Ian Baker explains the audacious Reading Borough Council scheme:

That's right - if you need to dispose of unwanted computer kit in the Reading area, rest assured that it will be well taken care of. You can even pop in 365 days a year to lay flowers beside the final resting place of that faithful 19" monitor. Requiem en pacem. ®

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• Consumers don't recycle enough, say manufacturers (27 December 2005)
• IBM wins £10m deal from Kent County Council (31 August 2005)
• Wales to host new £1m CRT recycling plant (2 November 2004)
• Sita flogs WEEE ops to Oz recycling giant (5 October 2004)
• Dell jumps on UK recycling bandwagon (28 September 2004)
• Toxic PCs destroy life as we know it (8 March 2004)