"We are happy to have Veidekke Gjenvinning on our team", say Ole Viggo Svendsen and Thor Christian Wiik Svendsen of Elektronikkretur and Hvitevareretur, the two companies which are jointly responsible for El-retur, an environment-friendly waste collection system.

Veidekke Gjenvinning will collect EE waste from dealers and municipal receiving stations in Telemark and Rogaland and handle as much as 7,300 tonnes of this waste per year. The contract comes into force on 1 July 2003 and is valid for a three-year period.

EE waste includes washing machines, coffee makers, computer equipment, office machines, television sets, electronic toys, mobile phones, etc. Such products contain a long list of toxic elements, such as mercury, PCBs and brominated flame retardants. These toxic substances can cause serious harm both to human beings and to the natural environment. It is therefore vital that these products are treated in a way that is environmentally sound. All dealers and local governments are obliged to receive EE waste from private consumers, free of charge.

El-retur is a nation-wide takeback system for discarded electric and electronic products, established by Elektronikkretur AS and Hvitevareretur AS. These two companies are responsible for information, collection and environmentally sound treatment of EE waste on behalf of approximately 650 importers and producers of electric and electronic products in Norway. This is a consequence of the Norwegian EE regulations which require producers and importers to take responsibility for the safe treatment of discarded products and exploit their resources. El-retur handles about 60,000 tonnes of EE waste per year. For further information, see www.elretur.no.

Veidekke Gjenvinning is one of Norway's leading and largest recycling companies. Veidekke Gjenvinning has founded/acquired more than 20 companies and is thus able to offer complete solutions to nation-wide customers. Annual turnover is approximately NOK 300 million, of which 10 per cent refers to companies outside Norway.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Per Kristian Petersen, Veidekke Gjenvinning AS,

Phone + 47 21 05 80 44

Mr. Ole Viggo Svendsen, Elektronikkretur AS,

Phone + 47 23 06 07 40

Mr. Thor Christian Wiik Svendsen, Hvitevareretur AS,

Phone + 47 23 06 07 50