Category: Electronic Equipment

Eco Meetings and Events

On By JMCEIn Awards, Climate change, Dublin, Electronic and Electrical Recycling, Electronic Equipment, News, Social EnterpriseLeave a comment

Meeting again!

As we all start to get back to our new normal living and working with COVID 19 we will once again arrange and book business, community, sport, and family events including formal meetings and social occasions.

It’s important to look at environmental considerations when arranging these types of events and occasions. By proactively working with service providers, we all can minimise environmental harm and achieve greater environmental wellbeing.

A green meeting incorporates environmental considerations at all stages of the meeting or event to minimise the negative impact on the environment and positively contribute to host communities. (Green Meeting Industry Council).

Meeting Coffee Break

Failte Ireland

Failte Ireland has developed a guide to help organisations and communities start on the road to running green meetings or events, large and small. These meetings and events will incorporate environmental considerations throughout all the various stages to minimise the negative impact on the environment and positively contribute to the community hosting the event or meeting.

This Failte Ireland guide is intended for any business involved in planning and/or running a meeting, conference, or event in Ireland. This will range from conference organisers, venues (including hotels), accommodation providers, catering companies, entertainment/activity providers, audiovisual/IT companies, and transport providers. The guide was prepared to allow businesses to start or continue the road to planning and running green meetings and events.

The document is a voluntary guide, and not a standard. (Click below to access).

What to Ask?

As an individual or organisation wishing to book a meeting or event, you might ask the following questions of a service provider.

Please don’t feel awkward when asking these questions, the best organisation will have no problem answering and others will learn!

  • Do you have an environmental policy?
  • I want to run a carbon neutral event; can you help me do that?
  • What are your company’s sustainability principles?
  • We take Corporate Social Responsibility very seriously in our company and we want to work with businesses that do the same. Is that you?
  • Why should we choose your company?
  • What makes you environmentally sustainable?

According to the United Nations (UN) World Commission on Environment and Development, environmental sustainability is about acting in a way that ensures future generations have the natural resources available to live an equal, if not better, way of life as current generations.

Eco-Friendly Early Morning Meeting

Service Providers

Conference, meeting, and events venues can look to this Failte Ireland business tool for guidance on how best to address potential customer questions on arranging eco-friendly meetings and events for potential customers.

With an ever increasing focus on the environment across the world, it is not surprising that the meetings, conference and events sector has come under scrutiny, in respect of what actions it is taking to add to the ever growing demand for sustainability.

To get a copy of the guide click here. Meeting and event organisers and operators will benefit from taking a look!

About Recylce IT

As part of an environmental policy and ongoing sustainabily organsations should have a procedure for dealing with its old electronic, electrical and metal equipment once it’s served it’s purpsoe.

Every part of the meeting, conferencing and hospitality sector used electronic, electrical, and metal equipment to meet the needs of customers. Once this equipment has reached the end of its first life it might be offered for reuse and if not fit for reuse it should be safely recycled.

Recycle IT is an award-winning, not for profit, social enterprise established to create employment and promote environmental awareness through recycling and reuse. We work in partnership with WEEE Ireland and are authorized by your local authority to provide electrical, electronic and pure metal recycling collections across Dublin and surrounding areas since 2007. Recycle IT are fully compliant for WEEE collection with permit details available here.

To speak with Recycle IT please call 01 4578321 or email us at here

Visit our website www.recycleit.ie

Recycle IT Logo

Electrical Recycling Eye Opener!

On By JMCEIn Climate change, Electronic and Electrical Recycling, Electronic EquipmentLeave a comment

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?

Mixed System Boards for Recycling

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!

Old TV Screen for Recycling

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”.

Mixed Computer Parts for Recycling

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

Recycle IT – Repak Award Winner 2019 – WEEE Champion

E-Waste in the EU: Facts and Figures

On By JMCEIn Computer Recycling, Dublin, Electronic and Electrical Recycling, Electronic Equipment, We Recycle ITLeave a comment

We are sharing a news article from the European Parliament, a forum for political debate and decision-making at EU level. This particular article was published on 23 December 2020 and is about electrical and electronic waste and the fact that it growing faster than any other waste stream. Check out the facts and figures in the infographics below.

Did you know that less than 40% of e-waste is recycled. Electronic devices and electrical equipment define our modern life. From washing machines and vacuum cleaners to smartphones and computers, it is hard to imagine life without them. But the waste they generate has become an obstacle in the EU efforts to reduce its overall ecological footprint. This includes Ireland.

What is e-waste?

Electronic and electrical waste, or e-waste, covers a variety of different products that are thrown away after use. From the largest items to the smallest including cables, phones and batteries. Large household appliances, such as washing machines and electric stoves, are the most collected, making up more than half of all collected e-waste.

This is followed by IT and telecommunications equipment (laptops, printers), consumer equipment and photovoltaic panels (video cameras, fluorescent lamps) and small household appliances (vacuum cleaners, toasters, kettles etc.).

All other categories, such as electrical tools and medical devices, together make up just 7.2% of the collected e-waste.

E-waste recycling rate in the EU

Less than 40% of all e-waste in the EU is recycled, the rest is unsorted. Recycling practices vary among EU countries. In 2017, Croatia recycled 81% of all electronic and electrical waste, while in Malta, the figure was 21%. Ireland recycles 47.7% of all electronic and electrical waste but this figure could be a ;ot higher if we all did more.

Why do we need to recycle electronic and electrical waste?

Discarded electronic and electrical equipment contains potentially harmful materials that pollute the environment and increase the risks for people involved in recycling e-waste. To counter this problem, the EU has passed legislation to prevent the use of certain chemicals, like lead.

Many rare minerals that are needed in modern technology come from countries that do not respect human rights. To avoid inadvertently supporting armed conflict and human rights abuses, MEPs have adopted rules requiring European importers of rare earth minerals to carry out background checks on their suppliers.

What is the EU doing do reduce e-waste?

In March 2020, the European Commission presented a new circular economy action plan that has as one of its priorities the reduction of electronic and electrical waste. The proposal specifically outlines immediate goals like creating the “right to repair” and improving reusability in general, the introduction of a common charger and establishing a rewards system to encourage recycling electronics.

To learn more and read the post from the European Parliament please click here.

If you need to recycle electrical or electronic equipment safely Recycle IT are happy to help. Just send us an email or call 01 4578321 for more details.

Recycle IT is a not for profit, social enterprise based in Clondalkin, Co Dublin, Ireland.

Recycle IT Collection

Climate Action – Take small recycling steps!

On By JMCEIn Dublin, Electronic and Electrical Recycling, Electronic Equipment, Family, News, We Recycle ITLeave a comment

What we can do!

Recycling allows materials to be reused, re-purposed, recycled and recovered over and over. Waste sent to landfill sites and incinerators does not drive reuse and costs Irish taxpayers, millions of euros every year. Yet much of this cost and waste could be saved by recycling.

Waste of all types produce emissions of greenhouse gases including methane, a powerful greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change and after the severe weather events and natural disasters over recent years, we can all see the effects of this change first hand.

School climate strike, crowd scene, Dublin, 15 March 2019
School Climate Strike – Photo credited to Christian Aid Ireland

Targets

Ireland has committed to a legally-binding EU target. This means reducing greenhouse gas emissions coming from agriculture; transport, residential buildings, commercial activity, “non-energy intensive industry” and waste including incineration.

Ireland is obliged to cut its emissions in total by 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, under its Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. In 2017 the Irish Government published a National Mitigation Plan explaining how it intended to meet that goal.

The then Minister for Communications, Climate Action, and Environment have said that it is likely to cost the State up to €150 million to pay for carbon credits to compensate for the fact that Ireland will fail to meet its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy targets.

Energy consumption accounted for 60% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2017. Transport, residential and industry accounted for the highest shares of emissions. (Source SEAI). As our economy grows these emissions are likely to increase further.

Climate Change
Climate Change Ireland

The 2018 report from Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe gives Ireland a total score of 21 % on fighting climate change, making it one of the only three EU countries that scored less than 30% along with Estonia (24%) and Poland (16 %). (Source: Green News Ireland).

Recent Judgment

On July 31st 2020 the Irish Supreme Court ruled that Ireland as a nation needs to strengthen it’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) published in 2019. In a case brought by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), they argued that the plan was not “fit for purpose” because it was not designed to achieve substantial emission reductions in either the short or medium-term.

Clodagh Daly, a spokesperson for Climate Case Ireland, described the judgment as “really significant”. “The unanimous ruling by seven supreme court judges has made it crystal clear that the Irish Government cannot set long-term commitments without showing how they will be achieved in the short term,”

Climate Ireland
Climate Action Plan 2019

Eamon Ryan (TD) and current Irish Government’s Minister for Climate Action, Communication Networks and Transport, welcomed the judgment and congratulated FIE for taking the “important” case.

The government now must set real actionable targets. Please click the image above to download a copy of the Climate Action Plan 2019.

Help by Recycling

Ireland’s apparent inability to meet its obligations for emissions reduction is cross-sectoral with some sectors of society simply doing little to help. Fixes such as increased working at home and eco-friendly public transport will happen but immediate action can be taken by simply by reducing, reusing or safely recycling items from around your home, school, warehouse, store or office. (really think about what to do with old stuff and do you need new stuff).

In a number of areas in Dublin, the local authorities work in partnership with Recycle IT to offer residential collections for electrical and electronic waste.

This free collection service is usually an annual service offered too or requested by residents groups in Dublin and surrounding areas. The service really helps people safely dispose of large and small electrical, electronic and metal appliances and equipment.

Recycling Helps
Recycle IT – Recycling Helps

Household collections are held on an agreed and specific day or week. Your resident’s association will notify you of your collection day usually 3 – 5 days in advance with a message via whats app or text with further reminders a few days before collection.

You can also contact us if unsure if the item you have for recycling will be accepted as part of collection Just email Recycle IT directly

Some Household Recycling Guidelines

When putting items out for a recycling collection remember:

  • to keep the piles tidy inside your garden, or on the curb so the footpath or roadway is kept clear
  • If you think an unofficial collection is taking place, call us and we will arrange a collection from your door
  • if in an office move items to the ground floor to allow for speedy collection
  • let us know if items can’t be easily and safely lifted by two collection team members?
  • notify us in advance if items need to move out of your home. (we can offer some guidance based on Covid19 best practices).
  • notify us in advance about sharp or dangerous objects.
  • keep items secured if severe weather is expected.

Recycle IT also support business customers with cost-effective recycling options. We collect and recycle all types of office equipment from the office kitchens to electronic items used on the office desk.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT, is an award-winning nonprofit 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 authorized 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

Recycle IT

Reduce, Repair, Reuse or Recycle Computers

On By JMCEIn Awards, Dublin, Electronic and Electrical Recycling, Electronic Equipment, We Recycle ITLeave a comment

Computers – the end-of-life options! 

Advanced hardware and software on computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones help quickly make IT equipment go out of date. The United Nations University (UNU) found that more than 44 million metric tonnes of electronic waste were generated globally in 2016, with just 20% documented as recycled. According to a 2019 UN report, Global e–waste production is on track to reach 120 million tonnes per year by 2050 – Time to act!

Old Computers - Recycle IT
Old Computers – Recycle IT

As technology continues to change it brings us faster and increasingly efficient models of computers. These new models are released replacing existing models. As you keep up with the latest technology, you likely have old computers. Old IT equipment can’t be disposed of with other waste and as they get older reuse gets harder!

If you plan to replace a computer, tablet or phone at home or in the office make sure you keep all the leads, discs and instruction manuals to allow easier reuse. Have a read below to learn more about reducing, repairing, reusing and recycling 

Reduce

  • Use your current computer equipment for as long as possible.
  • Prior to new purchases research, your IT needs. You should really know what you want from your computers, who will use the computer and for what purpose.
  • This makes it easier to buy the right computer or laptop with the correct software installed. meaning the computer can serve your needs over a longer period.
  • Check that your new computer can easily be upgraded without needing to be replaced.

Repair

  • Get support with your IT challenges using online technical support groups.
  • Find a computer shop or repair service close to you. A helpful link – repairmystuff.ie
  • Take your computer or laptop back to the store where you bought it for warranty support.
  • Once informed about choices, ask yourself; Is repair worthwhile?
e-recycling-computers-servers-racks(2)
Computers for Recycling

Reuse

  • Approach a local community group, preschool or school and ask if they could benefit from reusing the item.
  • Offer a useful computer to a younger member of the family.
  • Donate to a charity. Call before taking computers to a charity shop as not every shop can accept electrical/electronic equipment.
  • Remove personal data and passwords safely prior to reuse.

Recycle

  • Drop off your old computer to Recycle IT in Dublin for free and safe recycling.
  • Place your laptop or tablet in a box and post it to Recycle IT for safe recycling.
  • Have computers and all related equipment collected for recycling. (free or fee-based collections offered).
  • Recycle your really old IT for component reuse.
Hard Disk Drives – Dismantled – Recycle IT

Recycle IT – Creating Training and Jobs

Electronic items including computers which are too old to be refurbished and reused can be sent to Recycle IT at our Dublin-based electronic recycling facility.

IT equipment of all shapes and sizes is broken down for component parts and metal reuse. If more people, follow use this route to recycling our organization can increase its overall sustainability and efforts to recycle. For more information on computer recycling please click here

Choosing IT or computer recycling options through Recycle IT supports real jobs and training opportunities in our community and helps with safe environmentally friendly recycling in partnership with WEEE Ireland.  Please call our team on 01 4578321 to learn more!

IMG_3513
Recycle IT – TeamWork

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT  are an award-winning community enterprise providing recycling collection and drop-off services for all types of waste electrical, electronic equipment (WEEE) and pure metal items.

During 2018 Recycle IT offered to drop off and collection services to tens of thousands of homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and screens

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT is 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.

Recycle IT - Collection Service
Recycle IT – Collection Service