MORE than 100 jobs are being created in the region at a plant which recycles cast-off computers.

Middlesbrough based Recycling IT (Europe) Limited plans to centre all its UK operations on Teesside.

Formed just over two years, the firm provides a redundant IT equipment collection and recycling service to help organisations and individuals to comply with a European directive, which could soon become law in the UK.

"The primary objective of this legislation is to reduce significantly the volume of electrical and electronic equipment that is currently being sent to UK landfill waste disposal sites," said Recycling IT's managing director, John Pettifer.

"It is also designed to promote the recovery and recycling of the equipment and materials that are used in their manufacture.''

Equipment that can be restored for use by others is cleaned, repaired and offered for resale. What is left is then sent for recovery and reprocessing.

Mr Pettifer said: "Our recycling process takes the plastic, glass, aluminium and steel and converts them into a form that can then be reused.

"Printed circuit boards are de-populated and any precious metal such as gold and copper is reclaimed. Wires are stripped and the copper is reprocessed.

"Whatever material is left is then disposed off in an environmentally sensitive way."

Clients have included the Royal Mint, the University of Sunderland and Wiltshire County Council.

Renew Tees Valley (RTV), an organisation responsible for promoting economic activity in renewable energy and recycling, has provided funding for the development of a business plan which envisages a rapid growth of the organisation.

The result, if it goes ahead, will create job opportunities for relatively unskilled people.

RTV's Paul Jackson said: "The plan will create up to 16 new employment opportunities from day one, a further 39 by the end of the first year and a total of 110 new jobs by the end of year three.''

Mr Pettifer said: "The enthusiasm and professional attitude, along with a willingness to consider an alternative approach was refreshing.

"We have encountered some difficulties along the way to reaching our target but without the assistance of the team at Renew Tees Valley it would certainly have taken much longer and been a more arduous process."