World Wide WEEE

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) is a complex mixture of materials and components including hazardous elements and if not properly managed these materials and components can cause environmental and health problems. It’s really important to manage the collection, treatment and recycling of increasing quantities of older electronics at the end of their life.

As we all innovate and change, the world is producing ever more electrical and electronic waste. New products increase the quantity of dumped computers, telephones, televisions and appliances. This figure has doubled between 2009 and 2014, to 42 million tonnes per year globally (Source: nature.com).  A lot of this e-waste is then transport around the globe causing greater environmental concerns.

Ireland 

Some counties are doing a good job managing electrical and electronic waste and we hear in Recycle IT have to applaud Irish people as they are the best in Europe at recycling all types of duall purpose home and office electrical and electronic equipment. WEEE Ireland reported a total of 31,000 tonnes of electrical and electronic waste collected in 2015, or just over 9 KG per person.

The figures say that Irish people recycled 90,000 fridges and freezers, 600,000 large household appliances including washing machines, tumble dryers, cookers and dishwashers, 9 million mixed waste electrical and electronic equipment. Over 250,000 televisions and monitors were sent for recycling in the year with an overall total of 13 million waste electrical and electronic items recycled.

The report also shows that an equivalent to 28 million AA batteries and 3 million lamps were collected for recycling.

Recycling WEEE in Ireland

Recycle IT support and partner with WEEE Ireland in collection and drop off old and unused electrical and electronic equipment

Our collection teams works in Dublin and the surrounding working engaging with people in households, schools, community based organisation and business to recycle electrical goods.  Remember householders can drop items to recycling centres including Recycle IT for free. You can call 01 4578321 to learn more or visit our website.

WEEE Ireland has 900 member organisation which include multinational companies like Apple, Whirlpool, IBM, Philips, and indigenous Irish firms such as Dimpco, and Origo. They all support WEEE recycling in Ireland

In 2017 Recycle IT will focus on recycling small electrical and electronic waste items as today we only 25% of items purchase turn up for recycling.

Other areas of focus include toys, tools, small home appliances which today are either stored in homes or offices  or sent to the landfill in black bags or bins.

Recycling workshops for Schools in Dublin 

Recycle IT works to recycle all types of electronic and electrical equipment daily.  We never know what will come through the doors next, it can be anything from battery operated toys, printers, phones or an old exercise bike. Common household appliances received include computers, TV’s, dishwashers, washing machines and fridges. Items can be dropped off or collected.

As part of our work with schools we offer free electrical recycling collections and now we have now take a further step by developing a practical workshop called “How WEEE Works“. The workshop demonstrates the value of recycling  electrical appliances which have come to the end of their life. The workshop has a particular focus on recycling computers mainly because they are everywhere!

 

Why recycle computers? 

It’s hard to imagine life without computers. They touch every part of daily life. Children are so used to seeing and using PC’s, laptops, tablet or phones to do amazing things but do they ever think about the bits inside or what happens when the computer breaks?

In the workshop we find out about different parts of a computer, how they work together and how they can be recovered for reused or recycling once they get old or damaged. We explain the work and value of recycling to our social enterprise including the training opportunities recycling computers has created.

Taking Part

Our first “How WEEE Works“ workshop was at Scoil Aonghusa Senior, Tallaght,  Dublin 24. This workshop was completed as part of Eco Week and was arranged in association with South Dublin County Council. Since then we have developed and delivered our workshop in a number of schools across South Dublin.

We plan to offer this workshop to a number of schools in 2018 in order to encourage kids to learn, hear and see how reused and recycling old equipment like computers and can benefit our community.

Our aim is to simply encourage the next generation to reduce, reuse and recycle in order support environmental change

What we do daily! 

Recycle IT are very happy to arrange a collection of old electrical or electronic items from your school including batteries. Your school might have item hidden away or you might like to arrange a WEEE to School Collection Day as part of an environmental awareness campaign such as the Green Flag, whatever the reason give us a call.

To learn more about Recycle IT please visit our website. To learn more about our school workshops please contact Una or John on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

South Dublin Eco Week 2017 starts March 27th 

South Dublin County Council have organisated and will host Eco Week 2017 starting March 27th. Now in its 13th year, Eco Week has grown and developed into a shared celebration of the environment. The week along event will be launched by the Mayor of South Dublin County, Cllr Guss O’Connell, in County Hall on Monday  27th March at 12pm.(by invite)

The launch this year will include young people from the County providing performances from “Environment the Musical” and the presentation of the winners of the Environmental poster competition.

This week long programme of events promotes awareness of the environment and is a fantastic opportunity for schools, communities, businesses and citizens in South Dublin to educate themselves and become a part of a solution to environmental needs. All events are FREE events but in some cases the numbers are limited, so book early to avoid  disappointment. Booking details can be found below.

How Recycle IT will Support Eco Week.

Recycle IT in association with South Dublin County Council hope to spread the message that electrical and electronic recylcing is good for our environent and in order to promote this message Recycle IT will operate a number of events during the week including our interactive “How WEEE Works” workshop for schools,  open days for electrical recycling  in Tallaght and Clondalkin and a vintage WEEE display in  South Dublin Country Council offices in Tallaght.

Collection Day for Workers and Business 

“How WEEE Works”  Schools Workshops

Over the years, Recycle IT have learned lots while recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The team have decided to share this learning through a demonstration workshop called “How WEEE Works. The workshop introduces young learners (aged 8 to 10 years) to the concept of practical reuse and how electrical items can be recovered, reused and recycled.

The team visit a number of schools each year to share experiences, offer insights and they always leave with lots of ideas. If your school is interested in having the Recycle IT team visit during the year please give Una a call on 01 4578321.

Open for Recycling – April 1st 2017

People in South Dublin are invited to recycle all old or once loved electrical and electronic equipment including TVs, computer equipment, stereos, large and small household appliances, really any items with a plug or a battery.

The team at Recycle IT appreciates it’s sometimes difficult for people to find time to recycle electrical equipment during the week so Saturday opening for free drop helps residents, community groups and local business with an additional opportunity over a weekend, to clear out electrical equipment which is taking up valuable space while also supporting Eco Week 2017.

Our recycling facility is located at Unit 14/2 Crag Terrace, Clondalkin Industrial Estate, Clondalkin, D.22 We are opne on Saturday 1st April  between 10am – 2p or Monday to Friday (weekly) between 8.30am and 3.15pm for drop off.

Once you arrive at the recycling facility in Clondalkin our team will be available to take your appliance for recycling.

Vintage WEEE Display 

Recycle IT will  exhibit a range rare and vintage electrical appliances
collected over the years. These items are guaranteed to bring back a
memory or two so why not drop into South Dublin Country Council in Tallaght to see the display. This exhibit will run all week

All events are FREE and can be book with South Dublin County Council. Apply by phone to Aisling Staffrd 01 4149000, ext 6069 or Una Maguire 01 4149000, ext 2791. Please book early!

Further detials on Eco Week can be downloaded here

If you have questions or would like to arrange a personal collection from your home or business, please call 01 4578321 or email: info@recycleit.ie.  You can also visit our website to learn more about our work and our recent awards.

 

Calling Schools Gardens and Community Gardeners

For all those with green fingers March is the perfect time to get those tomato and pepper seeds started indoors ready for an early spring planting! Also a great time to start planting those cool weather vegetables. As April arrives the soil will finally warming up for the growing season and its not too late to plant tomatoes and peppers from seeds.

All these plants with flourish in recycled washing machine or tumble dryer drums and you could have one or two for your school or community garden once you enter our free competition.

Instead of just breaking down washing machine and dishwater drums Recycle IT believe, they can be reused in your garden. They can be left as stainless steel planters or painted using power coating in colors of your choice.

Once the paint dries, you can plant herbs such as parsley, basil, rosemary and mint, among others, and maybe even stencil  the name of the herb on the drum. If herbs are not your thing flowers or fruit can be grown.  Recycle IT had fresh strawberry’s all summer from a planter located outside our WEEE recycling facility.

Win a Re-Purposed Garden Planters. 

Garden and household plants can be grown in a variety of recycled containers including washing machine drums. All you need to do is match the size of the container to the size of the plant and particularity the root size of the plant.

This Spring, Recycle IT are offering an opportunity to get your green fingers on an empty washing machine or tumble dryer drum to grow your plants. We have 10 empty drums available for reuse in community gardens, school gardens or with tidy town initiatives in Dublin and the surrounding areas.

If you are based in  Dubnlin and the surronding areas we are inviting you to enter our free draw to win these distinctive ‪‬planters and share them within your school or community.

Extended – a few addtional days to enter! 

The draw will now take place on Tuesday April 18th (rather than April 14th) 2017 so please email, your name, your group or school name, telephone number, email address and reasons for entering  to info@recycleit.ie Please like and share our Facebook Page – Good luck

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to over 100,000 homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

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 Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Please do request more information from Recycle IT about our recycling service on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie