Repair before recycling!

Many electrical appliances are manufactured to a high standard with quality and durability in mind, but if you find that your electrical appliance is in need of repair you might consider using a repair service rather than replacing and recycling. Now you can as more service technicians get trained in Ireland.

Trained and qualified service technicians can repair appliances in your home and they are usually based locally around the country and ready to help within a few days of your call.

Some new appliances now have service issues determined or fixed without a technician visiting your home. Built-in technology allows remote diagnoses and a call can sort the issue out!

Training circular economy repair technicians

Students from the new training course for repair technicians received the Ministerial seal of approval on Tuesday, Jan 25th 2022 when Junior Minister Ossian Smyth visited their training centre in Co Meath.

The new course launched in 2021 aims to train the next generation of repair technicians in an effort to encourage repair, reuse, longer life and prevent thousands of tonnes of electrical appliances, from becoming waste in the future.

A number of electrical appliance industry stakeholders took action with WEEE Ireland, the White Goods Association and technical training agency Fastrack into IT (FIT) joined forces to create the new circular economy skills initiative course.

As part of the learning and information sharing process Recycle IT recently visited the students and learned about the training course and how everyone is progressing. On learning more about our work recycling old electrical appliances the students were eager to visit the Recycle IT. The visit to our recycling facility was arranged for April 2022. The team had an informative morning and asked questions about our operations and the many types of appliances received for safe recycling.

Stakeholders

This Circular Economy project is operated by Louth and Meath Education and Training Board and is supported by a grant from the CIRCULÉIRE Innovation Fund. CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership created by Irish Manufacturing Research and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EIT Climate-KIC with 25 Founding Industry Members including WEEE Ireland. It is free of charge for trainees and supported by a grant. The course runs over 26 weeks and is followed by a 12-week work placement.

Sharing knowledge, networking, building relationships as well as education, training and upskilling will help make the circular economy a reality in Ireland. Trained and skilled repair engineers can help ensure electrical appliances (as part of the circular economy) are used for longer, reused, and only reach recyclers such as Recycle IT after a very long and productive life.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT, is an award-winning social enterprise offering electrical, electronic and metal recycling services through drop off and collection. Recycling services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland and South Dublin County Council.

Recycle IT is supported by Pobal and Dormant Accounts and authorised by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across the east midlands waste region.

Our goal is to create training and employment opportunities through the provision of waste management services. Surplus earned income is reinvested in operational, and employment-related costs.

For more information on Recycle IT please call 01 4578321, email info@recycleit.ie or visit our website www.recycleit.ie