Category: Electronic and Electrical Recycling

WEEE – waste electrical and electronic equipment

Climate Change Conference 2021

On By JMCEIn Climate change, Electronic and Electrical RecyclingLeave a comment

The Irish Government and others say, climate is the defining challenge of our time. We have an opportunity to act now to mitigate the worst effects of climate change and secure a safer future for generations to come.

You can click here to view information on how Ireland is responding to this challenge and what supports are available to help you take action.

You can also learn more from the Environmental Protection Agency in Ireland by registering for its online conference which will be held in June 2021.

EPA Conference Logo 2021

In 2019 the EPA held its last Climate Change Conference at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Unfortunately the 2020 Climate Change Conference was postponed but the conference is back for 2021.

The conference titled Climate Solutions for a Better Tomorrow will be hosted online on the morning of June 23rd between 9am and 1pm and on the afternoon of June 24th 2021 between 1pm and 5pm.

The conference event will run over 2 days and will cover :

Day 1 – To explore achievement of climate neutrality by 2050; challenges and solutions

Day 2 –  Explore the role of society in the transition to climate neutrality and resilience

Please register below for this free event.

Don’t forget to share on social media @ #ClimateConference2021

Further details will follow shortly after you register.

Register here.

Learn more

To learn about climate change in simple terms you can click here. The link will bring you to a website which explains common climate action terms in plain English. The explanations are designed to help describe ideas and concepts rather than to give strict scientific definitions. You can even take a quiz which is great for family learning!

climatejargonbuster.ie

Circular Economy 2021

It was announced on June 15th 2021 that the Irish Government Cabinet has approved the general scheme of the Circular Economy Bill 2021. The Circular Economy Bill aims to curb a wide range of single-use products and ensure more robust waste management, including greater household segregation of items, and reduce food waste.

The Circular Economy Bill will:

  • ensure all households have access to and use segregated waste services and incentivise the commercial sector to increase waste separation
  • incentivise the reuse and the use of recyclable alternatives to a range of wasteful single-use disposable packaging and other items, and will re-designate the existing Environment Fund as a Circular Economy Fund
  • provide for the GDPR-compliant use of range of technologies, such as CCTV for waste enforcement purposes, this will support efforts to tackle illegal dumping and littering
  • place the Circular Economy and National Food Loss Prevention Roadmap on a statutory footing, ensuring this issue remains a priority for future governments
  • streamline the processes for End-of-Waste and By-Products decisions, tackling the delays which can be encountered by industry
  • consolidate Government’s policy of keeping fossil fuels in the ground by introducing prohibitions on exploration for and extraction of coal, lignite and oil shale

You can read more here.

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

CRNI Conference June 21!

On By JMCEIn Electronic and Electrical RecyclingLeave a comment

Community Resources Network Ireland (CRNI) is Ireland’s network for community based reuse, repair and recycling organisations.

CRNI funded by the EPA under the National Waste Prevention Programme and through membership contributions. CRNI is a proud member of the European RREUSE network.

The organisational vision is an Ireland where the word ‘Waste’ doesn’t exist and where our entire community benefits from the social, environmental and economic value of all reusable resources. The team aim is to promote community based, sustainable waste management as a practical and effective way of tackling Ireland’s growing waste problem.

CRNI will host a Conference on June 2nd and 3rd 2021. The theme of the conference is Jobs & Skills in the Circular Economy.

Jobs & Skills in the Circular Economy Poster

CRNI believe there has never been a better time to avail of European and national policy and funding programmes to invest in green and social jobs. But how is all of this momentum translating into reuse, repair and recycling training and job opportunities on the ground?

What are the barriers to developing these skills and jobs and reaping the economic, social and environmental benefits of a circular economy right across society? Join us for this important free event to explore, with key policy makers and practitioners, how we can make the most of this policy and funding landscape to create real career opportunities in the transition to a more circular economy. 

If you are interest in attending this online conference event you can register here

Speaker include:

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. Recycle IT are active members of Community Resources Network Ireland (CRNI).

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

Recycle IT Logo

Buying Social in Ireland

On By JMCEIn Electronic and Electrical Recycling, Social EnterpriseLeave a comment

Social Enterprises

Did you know that buysocial.ie helps connect you with trading social enterprises in Ireland. Social Enterprises which are set up to do good and sell products and services to achieve that end.

The power of buying social means that every time products and/or services are purchased from a social enterprise, positive social change can occur.

Buying from social enterprises is something that can easily be arranged by government, business, householders and individuals. Just match your need to the social enterprise and away you go on the road to responsible purchasing!

Euro Notes and Coins

A key Feature

Social enterprise is about real enterprise. It is a business model that focuses on delivering social returns using business principles. It reinvests any surplus income earned from sales after costs to achieve its social goals. Profits do not go to any one individual, group of shareholders or board members.

Social Goals

As a social enterprise sells its products and/or services and manages costs it also plans to achieve social goals which can include:

  • hiring more people facing barriers to employment.
  • creating training and skills development opportunities. 
  • advancing diverse culture including different interests, skills, talents and needs.
  • enhancing social inclusion – the terms on which individuals / groups take part in society.
  • contributing to local economies.
  • supporting environmental wellbeing.

When individuals or organisations buy from a social enterprise they are creating a ripple of value in communities. Purchases can have a range of positive effects including positive economic, environmental and social impacts.

Buying Today!

Today in Ireland it’s easier than ever before to Buy Social – social enterprises are operating all over our country in sectors like office services, bike repair, childcare, catering, maintenance, furniture renewal, home repairs, cleaning, recycling, and more, all adding value to the goods and services you need and use.

If you are thinking about buying products and/or service offered by a social enterprise they should be equal or superior to those supplied by others. Quality and customer service are key to success in any organisation and usually feature highly in social enterprise.

Buy Social – Click image to open

Creating Employment

If a social enterprise can find and serve a customer need, demand will follow, orders will be fulfilled and income will increase which leads to greater levels of certainty and sustainability within the enterprise.

This in turn can help create a training position or employment opportunities for persons seeking employment after an absence from the workforce or for younger people entering employment for the first time.

By choosing to buy from a social enterprise you are potentially enabling individuals who may have spent years out of work to get back into employment. A job can be transformational in so many ways for that person and their family.

Student Work Experience

Recycle IT

Recycle IT as a social enterprise see work based training and job creation opportunities as a route to:

  • increasing self esteem and confidence.
  • reducing anxiety.
  • increasing exposure to variety of situations.
  • building trust in abilities.
  • creating economic self-sufficiency.
  • learn from colleagues
  • progression within or externally.

Earning an Income

Many people consider making a profit as the main characteristic of a business. But for a social enterprise business is just a mechanism. Business is used to help support or introduce products or services to communities or groups overlooked by governments and private sectors organisations. In a social enterprise these needs are ranked higher than making as much money as possible.

Social Enterprise usually operate in space between the state and private sector organisations. Social Enterprises are generally amenable to testing out new ideas, ideally through a process of planning piloting and assessing product/service delivery in a small area.

The social enterprise team ensure communities are actively involved throughout the pilot process. They remind themselves, that profit is not a core consideration in offering products or services but at the same time costs do have to be covered.

This has the benefit of ensuring ideas respond to real social needs and insights gained from communities can be shared. This process helps demonstrate the passion to address real challenges in society.

Trading

In contrast to charity organisations, social enterprises are driven by business principles including the creation of income which is vital to success. For example, many of the people served by Recycle IT are a paying customers. All paying customers receive the recycling service they order generally on a given day and time. There payment helps us operate but it also helps subsidise further recycling services and opportunities offered by Recycle IT.

The next time you need a product or service look for a social enterprise nearby that may be able to help you!

Learn more about buying for community impact here

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

Recycle IT Recycling

WEEE Ireland News

On By JMCEIn Electronic and Electrical RecyclingLeave a comment
WEEE Ireland Release March 28, 2021

Older generation leave young peers on scrap-heap over recycling

A WEEE Ireland Study says young men and women are the worst at recycling small electrical items and hoard the most old batteries, a new survey shows.

The study reveals that despite being viewed as an eco-conscious generation, the country’s over-55s are streets ahead of 18 to 24-year-olds.

Mixed Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Related data from the organisation shows that electrical sales here grew by 17% in 2020 – but takeback of e-waste through retailers is down 10% in the first two months of this year, making a national take back target of 65% of sales a major challenge.

“The findings on younger people falling behind other age groups on recycling end-of-life electrical goods comes as a surprise,” said CEO of WEEE Ireland, Leo Donovan.

“Environmental activists such as Greta Thunberg strike a chord with the younger generation but this latest research show the e-waste message is still not getting through to many in this cohort.

“We know that younger people are avid consumers of digital devices and early adopters of new technologies, but we are asking them to be more sustainable in how they manage waste electronics and batteries too.”

Mixed Batteries

The online survey of 1,000 adults, conducted by Empathy Research, showed that nearly a third (30%) of 18-24-year-olds discarded their broken devices or other small electrical items in general waste bins, where they end up in landfill never to be recycled. 18% brought them to a recycling centre and 13% held onto them.

But the brightest sparks were the over 55s, nearly half of whom (45%) brought the end-of-life electrical goods to recycling centre and just 7% – over four times lower than their younger counterparts – dumped them in general waste.

And the young offenders of recycling also get a dressing down for holding onto waste batteries – 15%, mostly men, keep them, versus 0% of those aged over 55.

On a positive note, young people’s awareness that electrical goods can be recycled for free,
has soared, from a low of 56% in 2019 to 82% this year.

Data across all age groups shows the recycling solution of choice across Ireland is at local civic amenity recycling centres (38%), followed by 20% who hand their goods back to the retailer and 14% to an authorised e-waste collection event.

Mixed Small Electrical Appliances and Toys

However, 15% of the population still put kettles, toasters, lamps and other household items in general waste – the highest in the four years analysed.

“This means the valuable materials used in their production end up in landfill or incineration and can never be recovered for use again in the future,” said Mr Donovan.

Asked for a reason why they didn’t recycle used small appliances nearly a fifth,(19%) said they acted as a back-up in case their main one broke, with a similar number claiming they haven’t got around to recycling them as yet (18%).

In addition, 18-24 year-olds are significantly more likely to claim that the items which could be recycled are worth money so they are not going to recycle them yet – 46% versus 4% of over 55s.

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, electronic and metal items. During the last 18 months Recycle IT offered drop-off and collection services to homes, charities, schools and business organizations of all types. Our recycling teams operate across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of dishwashers, computers, cables, monitors, microwaves, screens, and metal items.

Household – WEEE Recycling Collection

Our electrical community collection service is 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.

Call us on 01 4578321 or email us at here

Visit our website www.recycleit.ie

Smartphones – Beyond Reuse

On By JMCEIn Electronic and Electrical Recycling2 Comments

Smartphones

Most people now have a mobile phone with the majority having a smartphone or tablet. Many children have access to a smartphone daily or have a tablet device of their own to help with school work and calls during Covid 19. Statista report that there will be 3.68 million users of smartphones in Ireland during 2021. Most internet users in Ireland use their smartphone access search engines, check their email, and visit social media sites weekly.

In 2019 Deloitte reported that 19 out of every 20 adults in Ireland owned a smartphone. The analysis noted that cross nearly all questions asked, females use their mobile phones more than males. Females used their phones for more purposes and usage of texting and video calling is well in excess of male usage. You can learn more at the Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey 2019:

Recycle IT – Old Electronic Devices / Smartphones

As we all use our phones more, we also replaced our phones regularly with ever-changing upgrades. Older models are safely stored with great intentions to reuse but rarely does reuse really happen? Is it time to clear out, make some space and get old phones reused or safely recycled?

If your considering reuse, your old phones might need a full reset and a software update. Make sure all your data has been wiped from the phone and all your personal accounts deactivated on the device.

The next question, what to do with the old phones or tablets?

Smartphone / Tablet Reuse

Offer your old or unused devices to a family member or friend. This saves clutter in your home or office and a family member or friend gets the benefit of a something they did not have before. It saves money, reduce the need for a new purchase and lessens environmental impacts.

Donate to an Irish Charity.

There are several charities that will accept smartphones as part of their fundraising campaigns. You are best searching the internet for a charity close to your heart and choosing that one as a beneficiary of your old smartphone.

Trade IT / Sell IT:

You may be finished with your smartphone, but chances are it still has more to give. If it is in good condition, it could go to a new owner. There are many choices including trade ins with your mobile phone company, tech stores, repair shops or advert websites. All these options offer reuse potential and can generate value in some form but be sure to delete all data from your phone before selling or trading and remember to get payment in advance of handover if selling!

Recycle IT Old Mobile Phones

Recycle IT

Whether you are an individual or an organisation you may have concerns about selling or offering your smartphones for reuse or resale. If this is the case, phones can be recycled safely – at a WEEE facility such a Recycle IT.

Please do not place the smartphones or tablets in the bin as components used to make the phones including metals, plastic, glass, and particularly lithium-ion batteries, should not be incinerated, or landfilled. It just bad for the environment and our health and wellbeing.

It is free to drop off smartphone, tablets, batteries cables and chargers to Recycle IT in Dublin. Some people post us old phones for safe recycling. If you have a lot of phoned in an office or business, we can arrange cost effective collections in Dublin and surrounding areas. Lastly they can be send via courier to our facility, just let us know in advance.

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

Recycle IT are supported by Pobal and Dormant Accounts and authorised by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare, and Wicklow.

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

Recycling Truck