The UK’s Green Party claims Microsoft’s latest operating system, Vista, could lead to a mass upgrade of PCs that will result in old machines being dumped in landfill sites, Silicon reports.

The Green Party’s warning about the environmental impact of Vista follows a similar statement from the British Computer Society. Nigel Shadbolt, BCS president, said the release of Vista could eventually see large numbers of PCs being upgraded and many old PCs discarded.

Upcoming legislation such as the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive will also impact businesses’ approach to IT disposal and recycling.