By Graeme Esson BBC News Online Scotland

The number of discarded television sets is growing

Green campaigners say action is needed now so that Scotland is prepared for new European laws on electrical waste.

Shore Recycling says it is the first firm in Scotland to invest in the specialist equipment needed to handle TVs and computer monitors.

The Perth company's move was welcomed by Friends of the Earth Scotland.

Dr Dan Barlow, its head of research, said: "It is good news if companies are recognising that we need to put in place the infrastructure now to ensure that we can meet the commitments."

Battery-operated toys

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Weee) Directive is due to come into effect from August 2005.

It will cover everything from televisions, computers and hi-fis through to battery-operated toys.

The legislation will make the producers, importers and retailers of such equipment responsible for establishing a collection network for old goods.

Fridges from across Scotland are handled by Shore Recycling in Perth

Items collected through the network will have to be recycled, reused or treated.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) launched a consultation process on the proposed guidance last month.

However, Friends of the Earth and the Scottish Green Party both fear a repeat of the problems which left Scotland with a fridge mountain.

The stockpiles of the kitchen appliances built up after new legislation came into effect in January 2002 which meant they could no longer be dumped in landfill sites.

Instead, the harmful CFCs contained in the appliances must be removed and destroyed.

Shore Recycling has processed more than 500,000 fridges since it opened Scotland's only permanently-sited plant capable of performing that task in December 2002 in Perth.

No stockpiles

It has contracts to handle fridges from 29 of Scotland's 32 councils.

"We have provided the solution to Scotland's fridge mountains. There are no stockpiles any more," said commercial director Malcolm Todd.

To prepare for the introduction of the Weee Directive, the company has now spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on a cathode ray tube (CRT) processing plant.

The company believes it will be the only one of its kind in Scotland when it becomes operational later this year.

Scotland produces 250,000 unwanted fridges every year

"It is a significant investment, but we believe that this is what is required in order to help Scotland not have a television mountain," said Mr Todd.

The machine will be able to separate the part of the cathode ray tube, which contains lead glass, from the back of the screen, which is coated with phosphor.

Mr Todd said it was estimated that there would be about 600,000 televisions and monitors which would need to be recycled in Scotland.

A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said: "A consultation on the implementation of the Weee Directive is currently under way and the Scottish Executive welcomes all comments on the proposals.