Recycle IT and South Dublin County Council are teaming up to host a special recycling event on Saturday, September 28th, 2024. This drop-off event will take place at the South Dublin County Hall carpark from 10am to 1pm. For directions to the location, please click here.
Mattress Recycling 2024
Mattress and Hazardous Liquid
During this event, you’ll have the opportunity to recycle a variety of household items, including old mattresses, electrical appliances (WEEE), and household hazardous liquids. This is a perfect chance to get rid of items that can’t be thrown in your regular waste bin, helping you do your part to protect the environment. Hazardous liquids such as paints, oils, or cleaning products should be handled with care, and this event makes it easy to dispose of them safely.
Old Paint Cans
Please note that after this event on Saturday Sept 28th, Recycle IT will no longer accept mattresses for free recycling. This makes the September 28th event a great opportunity to dispose of your old mattress at no extra cost. After the deadline, charges may apply for mattress disposal, so take advantage of this free service while you can.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Electrical waste, also known as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), includes items like old computers, phones, kitchen appliances, and other devices that run on electricity. Recycling these items helps recover valuable materials and reduces harmful waste.
So, mark your calendar for this important recycling event and gather any items you’d like to drop off. It’s a convenient, eco-friendly way to safely dispose of mattresses, hazardous liquids, and electronic waste!
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.
Join the E-Waste Hunt – Retrieve, Recycle, Revive!
Recycle IT is offering free community electrical recycling collections to residents in Dublin housing estates to celebrate International E-Waste Day on October 14, 2024. This year’s slogan is “Join the E-Waste Hunt – Retrieve, Recycle, and Revive!” The aim is to encourage people to search their homes for old or unused electronics and give them a new life through recycling. Many people keep old devices tucked away, not realizing that these items contain valuable materials that could be reused.
International E-Waste Day is an annual event that raises awareness about the importance of recycling electronic waste, or e-waste. E-waste includes items like old phones, broken computers, unused TVs, and other electronic devices. When not disposed of correctly, these items can harm the environment, but when recycled, they can provide materials like copper, aluminum, and even precious metals like gold. By recycling, these materials can be recovered and reused to create new products, reducing waste and the need for mining more raw materials.
Last year, 195 organizations from 55 countries across six continents took part in International E-Waste Day, with many more participating through activities, news reports, and online campaigns. This year, Recycle IT is doing its part by offering Dublin residents the opportunity to easily and safely dispose of their old electronics. Instead of letting these items gather dust in attics or cupboards, people can now recycle them for free, knowing they will be handled responsibly.
Responsible Electrical Waste Recycling
The slogan “Join the E-Waste Hunt – Retrieve, Recycle, and Revive!” encourages people to actively seek out the unused electronics hiding in their homes. Many of these devices contain valuable parts that can be refurbished, repaired, or recycled to make new products. This reduces the need for new raw materials and helps the environment by cutting down on waste and pollution.
Every year, the world produces millions of tonnes of e-waste, but only a small portion is properly recycled. Most of it ends up in landfills, where it can release harmful chemicals like lead and mercury into the soil and water. By participating in Recycle IT’s free e-waste collection, Dublin residents can help prevent this by ensuring their old electronics are safely recycled.
Collections
Recycle IT’s free collections make it easy for people to do their part in protecting the environment. This initiative supports the idea of a circular economy, where products are reused and recycled rather than thrown away. It’s a simple way to make a big difference, and all it takes is gathering up those unused electronics and dropping them off at a local collection point.
On October 14, 2024, Dublin residents can help “retrieve, recycle, and revive” their old electronics, giving them a new life and helping to make the planet a cleaner place. Recycle IT have collections scheduled from October 14th to October 18th but we are happy to support you with alternative date once you contact us on 01 4578321 and ask about FREE residents association WEEE recycling collections for Dublin.
You can read more International E-Waste Day 2024 here.
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.
Recycle IT, an Irish not for profit, social enterprise focused on recycling electrical and electronic equipment, has recently received funding from the Irish Government’s Climate Action Fund through South Dublin County Council. This funding will help Recycle IT in their efforts to promote the recycling of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) by making it easier for people to recycle small items like old phones, kettles, and other devices.
Climate Change Logo
Recycle IT’s new initiative will focus on placing special recycling receptacles in communities across South Dublin. These receptacles are designed specifically for collecting small electrical and electronic items that people no longer use or that are broken. Often, these kinds of items can end up in regular household waste bins, which leads to environmental harm because electronic devices contain materials that can be hazardous if not disposed of properly. By offering these recycling points in local areas, Recycle IT hopes to encourage more people to dispose of their old items safely and responsibly.
Easy Recycling
The new wheeled recycling bins will be placed in public spaces where people already go as part of their daily lives. These locations could include community centres, libraries, and other public places. By choosing spots where people visit regularly, Recycle IT is making it convenient for everyone to recycle their old electronics. For example, someone might visit their local community centre for a class or event, and while they are there, they can quickly drop off any small electronic items they no longer need.
Recycle IT – WEEE Recycling Receptacle Example
Goals
One of the main goals of the project is to make the recycling process as simple as possible. Instead of people having to travel to recycling centres, they can now drop off their items at nearby locations during their usual activities. In real terms this can help reduce carbon emissions, ease traffic and increasing recycling rates. Recycle IT understands that people are more likely to recycle if it is convenient for them. That’s why the organization will work closely with communities in South Dublin to identify the best places to put these recycling bins.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills and to promote a more sustainable approach to waste management. When electrical and electronic items are recycled, valuable materials such as metals and plastics can be recovered and reused. This helps to reduce the need for new raw materials, conserving natural resources and cutting down on the energy required to produce new products. Additionally, recycling prevents hazardous substances found in electronics, such as lead and mercury, from being released into the environment.
UN Sustainable Development Goals – Goal 13 Climate Change
General Manager at Recycle IT, Una Lavelle says, “he is funding from the Climate Action Fund is crucial for this project. It allows Recycle IT to purchase and install the new recycling receptacles and helps us raise awareness about the importance of recycling e-waste. The Irish Government’s Climate Action Fund supports projects that can make a real difference in reducing the country’s carbon emissions and protecting the environment and this initiative fits perfectly into these goals. We are delighted”.
Actions in South Dublin
Move forward over the next 18 month, Recycle IT will engage with South Dublin County Council and local community groups to spread the word about the new initiative. Our team plan to work with community groups, schools, colleges and local organisations to make sure that everyone knows about the new service and understands how to use it. By involving the community, Recycle IT hopes to create a strong sense of shared responsibility for reducing e-waste and taking care of the environment.
South Dublin Climate Action Plan 2024 – 2029 – Click here to open
One of the first steps in the project will be to consult with local communities to find the best places to install the recycling bins. Locations such as local libraries, community centres, and other public buildings are ideal, as people visit these places regularly for various reasons. The idea is to make recycling as easy as possible, so people can simply bring their old or broken electronics with them the next time they are heading out.
Finally
In conclusion, this new project, funded by the Climate Action Fund and supported by South Dublin County Council is an exciting step towards making e-waste recycling more accessible for people in South Dublin. By placing recycling receptacles in convenient locations and working with the community to promote their use, Recycle IT is helping to protect the environment and reduce the amount of electronic waste that ends up in landfills. Through this initiative, the people of South Dublin will have a simple and effective way to recycle their old or broken electrical items, contributing to a cleaner, greener future for everyone.
Technology is now part of our everyday live. From home to offices, buses to boats, school and colleges, computers tablets, PCs severs, and related software are an indispensable part of our modern life. Add personal items like smart watches, mobile phones, virtual assistants, and robot vacuums and mowers and we are all are touched by helpful or essential tech.
The downside is the lifespan with some items breaking sooner than they should or people always wanting the latest and greatest meaning items become waste or e-waste which is a major concern for the planet we live on!
What is e-waste?
According to the European Union (EU), electronic and electrical waste, or e-waste, covers a variety of different products that are thrown away after use.
These include:
Large household appliances, such as washing machines and electric stoves
IT and telecommunications equipment (laptops, printers)
Consumer equipment (video cameras, fluorescent lamps) and photovoltaic panels
Small household appliances (vacuum cleaners, toasters)
Other categories, such as electrical tools and medical devices
The EU also say e-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the Europe and less than 40% is recycled. You can view the facts and figures in the infographic below.
You can use the infographic to find out how many kilos of electronic equipment have been collected per inhabitant in Ireland and other EU countries.
Recycling practices vary among EU countries. In 2021, Austria topped the EU countries in electronic waste collection, with an average of 15.46 kilos per inhabitant. In 2021, 11 kilos of electrical and electronic equipment waste were collected per inhabitant in the EU on average.
Why recycle electronic and electrical waste?
Cast off 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.
The EU say, 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.
USB Type-C
Changes for Us
The European Commission presented a new circular economy action plan in 2020 that has as one of its priorities the reduction of electronic and electrical waste. The proposal specifically outlined 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.
USB Type-C will become the common charger for most electronic devices in the EU by the end of 2024. Laptops will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port by 28 April 2026.
The Commission presented a new proposal to promote repairing and reusing goods. Within the legal guarantee It would require sellers to repair products unless it is cheaper to replace them. Beyond the guarantee, it would provide rights to make repairs easier and cheaper.
The EU has adopted rules on the collection, treatment and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment to tackle the issue of the growing amount of electronic waste.
The Commission put forward a proposal for an update of the directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment to implement a ruling of the European Court of Justice concerning the scope of obligations of producers of photovoltaic panels (solar panels).
The EU council has now adopted these amendments into the EU law on waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Read more here.
Further updates will follow over the coming months. To reads more now please click here.
Repair and Reuse
Irish Statistics
The Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released 2022 statistics data related to the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) statistics for the whole of Ireland which documents household dual use B2C and commercial, professional B2B WEEE takeback.
The following key trends can be highlighted:
66,018 tonnes of WEEE were collected for treatment in Ireland in 2022, a decrease of 8% from the quantity collected in 2021.
61,806 tonnes of WEEE were recovered and 54,245 tonnes were prepared for reuse or recycling in 2022, a decrease of 8% and 9% respectively from the quantities in 2021.
Large equipment (e.g. Cookers, washing machines) accounted for 53.2% (by weight) and small equipment (e.g. Kettles, toasters) represented the next largest category accounting for 19.9% of WEEE collected.
Ireland met the EU recovery, recycling and reuse targets for all six categories of WEEE in 2022, they are temperature exchange equipment, screens, monitors, and equipment containing screens, lamp, large appliances, small appliances, and small IT.
The Irish national statistics show Ireland is in line with many European Member States but WEEE recycling volumes are not achieving 65% collection target.
Ireland 2023
WEEE Ireland Collection Results 2023
Recent figures in WEEE Irelands annual environmental report reveal consumers recycled a record-breaking 41,730 tonnes of electronic and electrical waste in 2023 – the equivalent of almost 200 forty-foot containers more than the previous year. Great News!
You all help by recycling over 15 million small appliances such as coffee makers, calculators, kettles and keyboards, along with the equivalent of 66 million used AA batteries were also handed back to make their way into the circular economy.
To view the full WEEE Ireland Annual Environmental Report for 2023 please click here.
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 collection regulations. Our permit details are available here.
Recycle IT – Community Recycling Initiative of the Year 2023
Today, one in eight people in Ireland continues to dump small electrical items in household bins. This new research by WEEE Ireland also suggests, the figure almost doubles among younger age groups, which are perceived as more environmentally conscious.
Small Battery Operated Vape – Dumped
The research survey reveals one in four 18-24-year-olds and one in five aged 35-44 get rid of common household electrical items such as smart watches, earbuds and blue tooth speakers in general waste bins.
Research
The survey, conducted by Empathy Research on behalf of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland go’s on to say, laptops, mobile phones, gaming devices, power tools and e-cigarettes are also being placed alongside other general waste bins, meaning these items can never be re-used or recycled. Simply, please don’t use the black or green bin to recycle electrical items and share this message with others in your home.
With many small personal devices now powered by small lithium batteries, there is an increased safety risk with fire as major concern for household waste collection companies receiving these items in bins.
Mixed Small Electrical Items
The low recycling rates for small electrics are echoed in global statistics, with the recent Global E-Waste Monitor revealing that less than one quarter (22.3%) of e-waste was properly recycled in 2022, falling sharply to just 12% for small devices.
Experience
Ireland has experience and a really good record for safely recycling larger household electrics like washing machines, tumble dyers, cookers fridges and other electrical appliances but this needs to be matched when it comes to smaller electricals. This will ensure the safe and efficient recovery and reuse of important materials contained in small electrical equipment.
By helping address these challenges you help reduce risks our environmental and public health and help support a greener, more sustainable future.”
To read more about the WEEE Ireland research please click here
About Recycle IT
Recycle IT is anaward-winning social enterprise providing recycling collection and drop-off services for all types of waste electrical, electronic equipment (WEEE) and pure metal items.
Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT is supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development, Dormant Accounts Fund, Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Leinster.
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
Recycle IT 