For many years, electrical and electronic waste (also known as e-waste) has been building up across Europe and around the world.
A lot of this waste includes plastics that contain chemicals such as flame retardants. While these chemicals are important for fire safety, they have made plastics very difficult to recycle. Because of this, much of this plastic has been treated as hazardous waste and sent for disposal instead of reuse.
This helpful project has developed a new recycling method that safely removes these harmful chemicals from plastic. This makes it possible to recover clean, high-quality plastic, as well as valuable materials like bromine and antimony trioxide. This supports Europe’s goal of creating a circular, closed-loop recycling system.
Instead of shredding plastic into lower-quality material, the process uses heat and special solvents to fully dissolve the plastic. The harmful additives are then separated out, leaving behind clean plastic that can be reused again and again in manufacturing.
Based in the Netherlands, the PLAST2bCLEANED project shows real progress in reducing environmental damage and lowering Europe’s reliance on imported raw materials, especially antimony*, which is considered a critical resource.
* Antimony is a metalloid, which means it has properties of both metals and non-metals. Antimony is utilized in various applications, including:
Alloys: It is commonly added to lead and tin alloys to improve their properties, making them suitable for use in batteries, solders, and bullets.
Flame Retardants: Antimony trioxide is a key component in flame retardants used in textiles and plastics including plastics use in electrical products.
Semiconductors: It is used as a dopant in semiconductor devices, enhancing their electrical properties.
New EU Regulation
A new era of EU regulation is changing how products are made and recycled. New rules now require manufacturers to use more recycled materials, including valuable substances like bromine and antimony.
Digital Product Passports will also track how clean and recyclable materials are over a product’s lifetime. At the same time, the EU wants to recycle more of its own critical raw materials to reduce reliance on imports.
Technologies like PLAST2bCLEANED will play a key role in supporting a circular economy.
Original post shared by Directorate-General for Environment: Visit here.
About Recylce IT
Recycle IT is an award-winning, not-for-profit, social enterprise established in 2003 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 since 2007. Recycle IT are fully compliant with WEEE Recycling Requirements and permit details are available here.
For more information about Recycle IT please click here.
Recycling your Christmas tree safely in Dublin is an easy way to start the new year in an environmentally friendly way.
Recycling Christmas trees is good because it reduces landfill waste, saves space, and protects the environment. Recycled trees become mulch or compost that enriches soil, prevents erosion, supports plants, and helps wildlife. It also reduces pollution and supports community projects after the holiday season for everyone everywhere during winter months.
Festive Trees
Real Trees
Neglecting and failing to recycle your once loved real Christmas trees is harmful because they fill landfills, waste natural resources, and contribute to pollution. Trees can release methane as they decompose, worsening climate change. Throwing them away also misses chances to create mulch, protect soil, support wildlife, and help communities benefit from reused materials during winter seasons.
Recylcing Points
Real Christmas trees can be recycled through the 4 Dublin Council’s annual tree recycling service, usually available at local parks and designated drop-off points in early January. Trees should be free of decorations, lights, tinsel, pots and stands before recycling. These trees are chipped and turned into mulch, helping to reduce landfill waste. Artificial trees cannot be recycled in this way and should be reused for as long as possible. By recycling responsibly, Dubliners can help keep the city cleaner and greener after Christmas.
Recycling Christmas Trees
Dublin City Council provides a free Christmas tree disposal service at specific locations across the city starting in January 2026 at a selection of bring centres, civic amenity sites and local drop off points from 4th to 18th January 2026. All trees will be recycled for use as compost and wood chips. You will find further details here.
Fingal County Council will be accepting Christmas Trees for recycling at the following Collection Points from January 2nd to 16th 2026. Please note that only Christmas trees will be accepted at the locations listed here. Other green waste, Christmas tree stands, lights decorations etc. will not be accepted as part of Christmas Tree Recycling.
South Dublin County Council has arranged for Christmas Tree recycling at the locations listed here from Friday 2 January to Monday 12 January 2026. This service is free and intended for domestic household trees only, with a limit of one tree per household / vehicle. Signage will be placed at each location to indicate it as an official recycling point
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will offer Christmas tree recycling. Further detials can be found here.
Artificial Christmas Trees
Artificial Christmas trees are hard to dispose of. Trees without lights usually go to general waste, and trees with lights count as electronic waste. Both cause environmental problems.
Recycle Artificial Trees 2026
Now, Balsam Hill and several local councils and recycling groups have teamed up to make recycling easier. Dublin residents can recycle artificial trees for free at the Ballyogan Recycling Park operated by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. or Ballymount Civic Amenity in South Dublin, no matter the brand.
If your bring your old or broken artificial Christmas tree for free recycling, learn more @ www.retree.ie
Festive Electrics
Recycling old or broken Christmas lights and electrical decorations at Recycle IT in the New Year 2026 helps protect the environment. Proper recycling prevents hazardous materials entering landfill, saves resources, and supports safe reuse. Drop off items easily, reduce waste, and keep communities cleaner and safer after the festive season.
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). Over the last 12 months Recycle IT have provided drop off and collection services to hundreds of schools, residents associations, community groups, charities, and businesses in Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of electrical and metal equipment which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves televisions and more.
Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Leinster. Recycle IT is part-funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development under the community service programme and Dormant Accounts Fund both managed by Pobal.
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday, just past and Christmas fast approaching new mobile phones are chosen by many as a gift for that special someone. At the same time, many of us just upgrade or replace old phones with a new, faster, increasingly secure gleaming model!
According to the Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO), seven in ten (70%) of internet users said that their most recently disposed of mobile phone or smartphone is still at home. Just 9% of internet users had disposed of their most recently disposed of/replaced mobile phone or smartphone at an electronic waste collection/recycling centre.
By Age
Analysis by age group shows that younger people aged 16 to 29 years were far more likely to sell or give away their mobile phone or smartphone when disposing of it or replacing it. Nearly one quarter (24%) of these younger internet users sold or gave away their phone when finished using it, over double the use of this disposal method amongst older persons in the 60 to 74 years age group (11%). Just 5% of internet users aged 75 years and over sold or gave their phone away when disposing of it or replacing it.
A 2024 Global GSMA Survey shows that handing down smartphones to family and friends is a Global Trend, but 5-10 Billion dormant’ mobile phones remain in desk drawers worldwide.
Some options
There are an increasing number of options for recycling and reusing old mobile phones some of which are listed below.
When you buy a new mobile phone in a shop, ask how you can recycle your old one.
If your unwanted phone is in good working condition and reasonably up-to-date, online resellers and some high street shops buy electrical or electronic items, especially if you have the original box, charger and instructions.
Old, unused, broken mobile phones can be disposed of at most recycling centres alongside small electrical items – find your nearest in Dublin here.
Some charities did accept mobile phones in the past. This option seems to have ceased but safe recycling is still an option, It’s really good to know phones are recyclable and many parts can be recovered so please don’t send them to a landfill or leave them in the drawer for years.
Old Mobile Phones
Value
Mobile phones contain a range of materials including valuable fragments such as Silver, Lead, Aluminum, Lithium and Palladium are found in smartphones. These resources can all be extracted and re-used over and over again. The variety of metals used includes aluminium which is lightweight and usually found in the phone case. Lithium cobalt oxide and carbon graphite are used to make the batteries. Elements like gold, copper and silver are used in the wiring of the phone. Platinum and tungsten are used in the circuitry. Another common material found in mobile phones is plastic which can be used instead of lightweight metal in the case.
Before you retire your old phone
Back up your data e.g. photos, music, messages, emails, contacts etc
Turn off any payment services e.g.google pay where your card details are stored
Sign out of apps that hold your personal information e.g. social media sites and email accounts.
Delete saved passwords on your browsers – e.g. google chrome.
Remove your SIM card and any backup or external storage
Wipe the phone with a factory reset.
If you are unsure of how to perform the above actions you can try the user manual if you still have one. Alternatively, if you know or can find the phone model number you will most likely find the steps online and there may be a video on YouTube to help.
If the above action doesn’t work for you, Recycle IT can help with the cost-effective breakdown and destruction of your old mobile phones. The process places the phone beyond reuse, while also safely recycling the component parts for processing and eventual reuse in new products.
About Recycle IT
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 since 2007. Recycle IT are fully compliant with WEEE Recycling Requirements and permit details are available here.
For more information about Recycle IT please click here.
30 years ago, on September 9, 1995, the original PlayStation made its debut in North America, ringing in an era of gaming success for Sony. The chart below from Statista shows, the original PlayStation is the fourth best-selling home console of all time, beaten only by the PlayStation 4, the Nintendo Switch and its own successor, the PlayStation 2, which sold 160 million units over its lifetime. Source: Statista Research Department.
Benefits
Did you know there are benefits to playing videogames? A National Institutes of Health study of nearly 2,000 children found that those who reported playing video games for three hours per day or more performed better on cognitive skills tests involving impulse control and working memory compared to children who had never played video games. Other reported benefits include improved problem-solving skills and logic, increased hand-to-eye coordination, greater multi-tasking ability and faster and more accurate decision-making.
Generally games consoles are devices designed for the sole purpose of playing video games usually at home. A games console is really a computer used to play video or virtual games, on a TV or monitor. Some devices are very portable and are handheld with screens.
Some Facts
Ireland’s total video games revenue was €397m in 2024 and it is expected to reach €503m by 2029. Social and casual gaming (online gaming) totaled €180m in 2024 and will rise to €240m in 2029 with a 5.9% CAGR. A paradigm shift in Ireland’s video games market will come in 2029, when social/casual gaming revenue will overtake traditional gaming (physical gaming on PCs and games consoles)
There are nine console generations, with the current leading providers being Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo with the Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch used to play games like FIFA 22, Farming Simulator 22 and Minecraft. You can also watch Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus on your games console.
Games Console, Controllers and Games – Recycle IT
Games are either downloaded directly onto the device via the internet online store or inserted into the device as a disc or card.
Many game consoles and games are aimed at children There is no official or recommended age for a child to have or use a games console. Video games are given age ratings similar to movies.
In general, using a game console with your children is fun. Adults can refamiliarise themselves with gaming, how new games work and how children are likely to use them. This can be a great way to show responsible and positive use of technology and show your child you are interested in what they do!
Reuse and Repair
After many years of fun, your game’s console may need to be updated with new software or hardware (if possible) or if damaged it can be repaired for reuse. There are several repair options available and they should be considered before saying goodbye to your console.
Saying goodbye isn’t always easy. After all, you likely spent many in-game hours together playing a starring role for your favourite sports team. Your console has likely brought you, your family and friends, many moments of joy and frustration.
However, the time will come to move on to a new console. With new console releases never far away you might consider a replacement. But before you do that, there are some important things that you need to do to stay cyber-safe (and keep your information and payment details safe).
Here are some steps to take before you sell, donate, or recycle your old console:
Games Console and Controller
Today many consoles are backwards compatible. This means that some, or most of the games from your old consoles should work with the new device To save your old games you can back your data up by:
Saving your data to an external hard drive.
Transferring your data from the old console to the new console by linking via a network.
Saving your data to a cloud service for your system.
Your gaming console can have personal information stored. Anything from email addresses to multiple credit card numbers to social media and cloud streaming accounts. If in the wrong hands, this can cause you lots of problems.
You can remove all your accounts from your console. In the setting menu, you can usually delete your credit card information, email addresses, social media links, or linked accounts. For purchased apps, you can sign out and manage your account information in your app settings.
A further option involves resetting the console back to when you first removed it from the box as new. Doing this reset will also make all of the information that was saved inaccessible through the user interface. You can usually do a reset in the settings menu.
Safe Recycling
Now that you have backed up your files and reset your console back to factory settings you may wish to dispose of the device in the waste or recycling bin. Please Don’t
Proper disposal including disposal of cables and chargers is important particularly if you didn’t try the above. Remember is also bad for the environment if you don’t recycle carefully
Games Console
Try the following
Reuse your console by gifting it to someone you know.
Donate your console to a local youth or community organisation,
Recycle your console instead of throwing it into the bin.
Recycle your console cables and related equipment at the same time!
Because electronics contain many damaging chemicals and reusable parts you should recycle safely at a dedicated e-recycling centre like Recycle IT. If you can’t or don’t wish to wipe the hard disk drive within the console before recycling, Recycle IT can help.
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.
Metal is just one of many materials we use daily in our lives and it is really worth recycling when it has served its purpose.
Here are 5 simple facts about metal recycling for reuse:
Metal can be recycled endlessly without losing quality, making it highly sustainable.
Recycling metal saves up to 95% of the energy used to produce new metal from raw materials.
Aluminium and steel are among the most commonly recycled metals worldwide.
Reused metals are vital for making new products like electronics, cars, and building materials.
Recycling reduces mining, conserves natural resources, and cuts greenhouse gas emissions.
Household Metal for Recycling
The type of objects that can be recycled includes aluminium and steel cans, electrical appliances, silverware, legs from office desks and chairs, old household pots and pans, cooking and baking equipment, school, office or sports lockers, gates, step ladders or zippers, the list is endless.
We recently learned that recycling one aluminium food/drinks cansavees enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours and if that’s not enough, the amount of aluminium thrown away annually in the U.S. would rebuild their commercial air fleet four times per year.
There are interesting facts below which we hope will encourage you to think about metal as a scarce resource and not just scrap. Without metal to manufacture, our daily trips to school by car or bus or our annual holidays by train, ferry or plane might not be as easy or affordable.
Interesting metal recycling facts
Metal recycling is good for the national economy and the environment, e.g., increased local employment and reduced emissions.
Recycling one tonne of steel saves 1,136 kg of iron ore, 454 kg of coal and 18 kg of limestone
You can test which metal is in your bin by using a magnet. Aluminium metal is non-magnetic whereas steel is magnetic. (Great learning for kids)
Drinks cans are made from aluminium while food cans are usually made from steel.
Metal recycling helps create new products once the original items have reached the end of their useful life.
Recycling scrap metals including iron and aluminium can benefit local construction projects such as roads and bridges.
Scrap metals are refashioned for use in creating bikes, cars, aircraft and other modes of transportation.
The United States of America annually recycles enough ferrous scrap, by weight, to build more than 900 of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridges.
Scrap metals aid in the storage and transportation of goods across the world with many shipping containers created from recycled metal.
Reusing scrap metal has supported many industries to reduce their environmental impact e.g. reduced mining of natural and scarce resources.
Recycled aluminium can be melted at a much lower temperature than new aluminium, therefore, saving on energy.
Scrap metal recycling helps reduce Co2 emissions created through mining, transport, and smelting.
Recycled, reused or re-purposed metals can be used to make beautiful and durable home furnishing and decorations. Think about the festive season!
Recycling scrap metal reduces the need for landfill sites and leads to a positive effect on water supply, soil, and land usage.
A computer contains around 1.5 kg of copper, a typical home about 100 kg and a wind turbine 5 tons.
In 2014, 2.1 million tons of copper were reused in Europe, coming from end-of-life products and directly recycled factory waste.
China is the world’s second-largest user of steel scrap after the EU.
Steel products can be recycled repeatedly without loss of strength.
One scrapped car produces more than four steel street light posts.
Metal Pots and Pans
Did you know?
Aluminium is made from a mined ore called Bauxite, which is converted into alumina, a fine white powder. This powder is then smelted at over 700°C, to become aluminium. The process is expensive and uses lots of resources including energy and fuel.
Many aluminium items used daily are recycled but those used in packaging like ready-to-cook foil trays are difficult to collect since it is very light and usually encrusted with food after baking. These types of items are discarded in many homes, schools, offices, pubs and restaurants without much thought for the environment or metal recycling. Maybe it’s time to try a reusable alternative to foil cooking trays and foil food wrap!
Metal Stands
Finally
Did you know manufacturing recycled metal items requires an estimated 17 times less energy than manufacturing the same items from newly mined metal? Keep this in mind when replacing washing machines, cookers, ovens or hobs. They all contain metal that can be recycled. Recycle IT breakdown and recycle large household appliances daily. These include washing machines, dishwashers, and tumble dryers. Click here to view our list.
Metal Table Legs
About Recycle IT
Recycle IT, is a 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 is supported by Pobal and Dormant Accounts and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Leinster.
Recycle IT 