Recycled electrical waste increased by 10% in 2020?

WEEE Ireland reported that the amount of electrical waste recycled at local authority recycling centres rose by 10% last year. This is the equivalent of about half a million small household appliances like kettles, toasters, blenders, batteries, cables, rice makers, sandwich toasters and more!

WEEE Ireland say this increase demonstrates how behavior and attitude of Irish people towards recycling e-waste is improving. (WEEE = Waste, Electrical and Electronic Equipment).

What’s changed?

In 2021 something changed. There was a spike in the number of electrical items dumped in general waste bins which resulted in a 7% decrease in electrical recycling compared with January 2020. This maybe the result of COVID 19 travel restrictions imposed in January 2021 or something else?

Leo Donovan, chief executive of WEEE Ireland, said: “Unfortunately, in January we saw a reverse in that behavior, and we would ask people to seriously consider the danger and environmental impact of getting rid of e-waste in household bins.

Mr. Donovan, also ask people to seriously consider the danger and environmental impact of getting rid of e-waste in household bins. “We need people to support a transition towards a more circular economy, which aims to keep our resources in circulation for longer.”

Recycle IT as an e-waste recycling service provider wishes to encourage Irish people to recycle safely and not place electrical items in any one household bin. Not even the green bin!

It’s great to see people safely recycle old electrical waste at a bring centre or colleciton day. These efforts will reduce exposure to toxic and hazardous substances found in many types of electronic equipment, If not recycled correctly everyday electrical equipment poses a real risk to human health and the environment.

For Ireland to comply with EU targets, e-waste recycling will need to increase by more than 10% in 2021. (Over 2020 figures) This will help Ireland to stay in touch with the ever-increasing amounts of new electrical items appearing on the market and in homes each year. These new items usually replace older or damaged items which can and should be recycled if not fit for repair and/or reuse.

Interesting research

The world generated 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste in 2019 which is an increase of approx. 9.2 million tonnes​ in five years.

After reviewing 30 years of recorded data The World Economic Forum reports that e-waste volumes in the U.S. is decreasing. U.S. households now produce about 10% less electronic waste by weight than they did at their peak in 2015. This can also be seen in other developed countries including Ireland.

The Recycle IT team say “new electrical and electronic products are much lighter and more compact than past products, This means less weight per item but lot more items to handle and recycle”.

Smartphones and laptops have replaced desktop computers. Flat screens have displaced bulkier TV and monitors, streaming services are doing the job that once required standalone MP3, DVD and Blu-ray players. U.S. households now produce about 10% less electronic waste by weight than they did at their peak in 2015.

This is a positive but also a negative with many smaller e-waste items ending up in household bins. If your electronic items get damaged, repair specialists can be difficult in find and costly compared to new items. Some personal electronic equipment is almost impossible to repair due to the small size, e.g. Bluetooth earbuds. The EU is looking at repair and encouraging producers to make it easier and less costly. We await an outcome!

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT provide recycling opportunities to home and business customers for all types of electronics equipment. Recycle IT offer a range of services including free, drop off, free community collections and cost-effective personal or business collections.

Our team will accept old household electrical items, small office electrical items alongside your garden power tools and pure metal equipment. We can also accept commercial appliances but do call in advance.

Recycle IT as a social enterprise works in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office.

To learn more about recycling electrical equipment please call Recycle IT on 01 4578321, email us or visit www.recycleit.ie