Get involved in Second Hand September?

Its time to pledge to buy only second hand for 30 days or more. When you buy and donate second hand clothes with Oxfam Ireland you give items a longer life, help to slow down fast fashion and protect our planet and its people.

Launched by Oxfam Ireland, Second Hand September is all about embracing charity shops and pausing your spend in buy new-fashion stores or online during September and after!

Why Second Hand?

We can agree second-hand shopping can be great for following new trends, gaining an individual look or finding something special for an occasion without adding to the tonnes of fashion items already in use.

Some argue, fast-fashion is a good option to have availalbe, because of price, accessibility, and choice but it’s not always best for the environment because of the large quantities of nature resources like water used in production and the quick disposal of clothes after purchase.

People are starting to see just how much pressure throwaway fashion is putting on our environmnet, planet and people, and how unsustainable it is. Some are starting to take action, and you can too!

Set yourself a personal challenge, and join us for Second Hand September as we say yes to pre-loved clothes by giving them a second lease of life! 

What Next!

Oxfam have 47 shops across the island of Ireland all of which sell high-quality pre-loved clothes, accessories, handbags and shoes, and you can find even more items up for grabs on Fashion Relief TV, our interactive (always on!) shopping channel with Broadcaster Lorraine Keane.

The store teams of nearly 1,000 staff and volunteers are ready to help you start (or continue!) your journey to more sustainable fashion choices during September 2021 and as your fashion needs change!

Once you have dropped into your local Oxfam shop, purchase a piece from the store, share it on your IG or Tiktok, or any social platforms using #SecondHandSeptember and tagging us @oxfamireland. Don’t forget to tag a friend to get involved. You can click here to visit the website.

The team in Recycle IT support Oxfam and are happy to share this worthwhile and valuable initiave

Shared by Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing collection and drop off services for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) Services are offered to homes, schools, charities, and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas. Our teams collect and help recycle a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves, TV’s and much more.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, Dorment Accounts, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Leinster.

How to Save Your Planet One Object at a Time

Environmental scientist Dr. Tara Shine will guide you from room to room and occasion to occasion offering helpful environmental friendly solutions that will improve your life and benefit our planet.

This online webinar will be delivered by Dr. Shine. It will help you to make achievable, affordable and genuinely effective desicions and changes in your every day life and the life of our planet.

The webinar will include live Q&A with panel members and may use live polls to gather audience opinion.

A limited number of books ‘How to save your Planet one object at a time’ signed by Dr. Shine will be given to some audience members.

Sometimes it can feel overwhelming thinking about all that needs to be done to save our planet.

This book is the antidote to that feeling. Easy to read and easy to do – here’s all the information and inspiration you need to make a difference, simply by making smart choices about everyday objects, tasks and habits. 

Dr Tara Shine

Learn more about Dr. Tara Shine at www.tarashine.com

You can click here to register your attendance for the event at 7pm on Thursday Sept 16th 2021.

This event is run inconjunction with Dublin Climate Action Week 2021.

Visit Dublin Climate Action Week website for more information on further events taking place across the Dublin region.

Shared by Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing collection and drop off services for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) Services are offered to homes, schools, charities, and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas. Our teams collect and help recycle a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves, TV’s and much more.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, Dorment Accounts, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Leinster.

Recycling for Good

Recycle IT work to recycle electrical, electronic, and pure metal equipment Monday to Friday each week. We received tons of items and are always happy to accept more!

While recycling our teams also received a range of other items including cardboard boxes, foam packing, bags and paper, these items arrival with the electrical and metal items. Some we can reuse, most we cannot.

Recycle IT also use a variety of items in our office, staff kitchen, changing rooms, showers, and other common areas which can be recycled. After speaking with our team and reviewing what we do about recycling general items used in work and at home, we came up with “16 things to know about recycling safely“. Take a few minutes to read and please share with others!

18 Things to Know About Recycling.

1. Everyone in your home or workplace should do their bit to recycle.
2. When purchasing items, have recycling / reuse in mind.
3. All recyclable items should be clean, dry, and loose before going in the recycle bin.
4. Do not fill one cardboard box or carton with another box or any other material, leave all loose and separate for recycling!
5. Hard plastic tubs, boxes etc. can be reused or recycled for reuse safely.
6. Soft plastic such as the labels on drinks or water bottles; the film on a punnet of strawberries, plums, blackberries etc.; cling film and old / damaged plastic carrier bags cannot be recycled in Ireland.
7. Tinfoil can be recycled provided it is clean and rolled up into a ball.
8. Crisp packets, and popcorn packets with foil cannot be recycled.
9. Plastic bottles and cartons can be recycled. Checked if the packaging has a recycling symbol with the number ‘1’ inside; if it does, it can go in the recycling bin.
10. Black plastic meal or vegetables cartons can go into the recycling bin and will be recycle safely If the technology at the recycling centre allows.
11. Used nappies cannot be recycled and should not be placed in the recycling bin. Keep safe, dispose of nappies correctly.  
12. Unused nappies (baby has outgrown the size) should not be recycled and are best going for use by family or friends with a baby.
13. Bring a reusable coffee cup to the coffee shop to save you recylcing or disposing of a paper cup.
14. Disposable paper coffee cups usually have a plastic film internally (unless stated otherwise) and are generally not recyclable. This will change so keep an eye out and do ask when buying coffee.
15. When disposing of paper, manuals, books, or old letters leave the books/sheets whole and put paper into the recycling bin. Shredded or cut up paper currently cannot be detected by recycling machines; it can be too small.
16. Paper and cardboard are recyclable once clean. If you wash old takeaway food cartons they can be recycled too!
17. Used napkins and paper plates cannot be recycled
18. Aluminium drinks cans are recyclable. They can be recycled alongside bottles at many bottle banks, or they can be placed in the recycling bin. Just wash them out before recycling.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing collection and drop off services for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) Services are offered to homes, schools, charities, and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas. Our teams collect and help recycle a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves, TV’s and much more.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Leinster.

E-waste statistics show a surprising development from a global perspective!

The COVID pandemic has affected life and wellbeing across the global with very few remaining free of the negative effects of the global crisis.

With forced changes to living life you would assume working for home, home school, online meetings with colleague and friends, online shopping, streaming movies, games and sports events would all increase the need for electronic gadgets in the home? Living under COVID-19 lockdowns really seemed impossible without a range or existing and new gadgets to play and work with.

With this in mind, many experts foresee a sizable increase in the consumption of electrical and electronic equipment and a simultaneous increase in disposal old electronic items, partly as a result of household clear-outs, cleaning and declutters during in the first COVID-19 lockdowns.

However, was this the case? The statistics show a surprising development from a global perspective:

UN Research

Research by the United Nations University (UNU) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) show lower consumption of electronic and electrical equipment in the first 3 quarters of 2020.

This led to a reduction of 4.9 million metric tonnes (Mt) in the future electronic and electrical equipment waste (e-waste) generated – this is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the first and second quarter of 2020. The reductions were 30% in low- and middle-income countries and vastly different at 5% in high-income countries. (see report for details).

Inequality

This inequality has a large social side effect: the population in low and middle income countries is continuously growing but access to modern communication technologies and other electronics including IT equipment is not keeping pace; this is leading to an even greater digital divide in schools, homes and workplaces.

High-income countries – mostly located in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand – are the least impacted due to COVID-19. Australia and New Zealand even show a boost in consumption in the first three quarters of 2020 (4% in weight).

An interesting fact surrounds the consumption of game consoles, mobile phones, electrical ovens and laptops The consumption of these type of items increased due to COVID-19. This added 0.3 Mt to the consumption of electronic and electrical equipment, and hence future e-waste generation. The increase is solely caused by high-income countries.

To lean more and read the full report or just a summary, please click here.

Open for Recylcing

If you need to safely recycle electrical and electronic items from home they can be dropped off free to Recycle IT or households and business organsations can arrarge a cost effective colleciton once in Dublin or surronding area’s. Schools, colleges, charity, and community organisations as well as residents assocations can avail for our free colleciton service. Just contact us!

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT, are an award-winning Dublin based social enterprise offering electrical, electronic and metal recycling. Services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, the Dormant Accounts Fund, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

For further details about our free and cost-effective services call us on 01 4578321, email info@recycleit.ie or visit the Recycle IT website at www.recycleit.ie