Free electrical recycling collection day in Nenagh

Tipperary householders are being urged to bring their electrical and electronic waste to a free collection day to help the county meet recycling targets which have increased since the first lockdown in 2020.

The event, hosted by Bord na Móna Recycling in partnership with WEEE Ireland, takes place Saturday, September 4, at Springfort Cross, Nenagh from 10am to 3pm, in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines.

All household items with a plug or a battery will be accepted free of charge, including old washing machines, TVs, toasters and kettles, electronic tools and toys, cables, IT equipment, mobile phones, remote controls, and even watches.

“In Tipperary, and across Ireland, we are buying more electrical goods than ever – with the annual tonnage on the market rising from 15kg a head in 2016 to 21kg a head last year,” said WEEE Ireland CEO Leo Donovan.

“Shopping stats during the pandemic showed a surge in spend on new electrical devices like mobile phones, computers, small kitchen appliances and white goods.

“With old items still lying around many households we want to offer the opportunity to recycle these for free.

“People in Tipperary have contributed greatly to e-waste recycling every year, and we want to encourage that trend.”

A surge in lockdown spring cleaning saw 1,850 tonnes of electrical waste collected in county Tipperary by the country’s largest recycling scheme in 2020, despite Covid-19 and travel restrictions.

11.6kg of e-waste was recycled per person in Tipperary last year – exceeding both the 2019 collection rate of 10.6kg, and the 2020 national average – 10.9kg per person.

However, the county’s e-waste target for 2021 has increased to 13kg per person, to reflect yearly increases in electrical goods consumption, accelerated by Covid-19.

“84% of all material that we collect is recovered for use again in manufacturing through both indigenous operators and specialist processors in Europe,” said Mr. Donovan.

“Most end-of-life products contain metals and minerals in higher concentrations than primary resources.

“These stock of resources are the urban mines of the future, so our recycling efforts can have a significant impact on the environment.”

In 2020, the equivalent of 225,182 tonnes of CO2 emissions were avoided by recycling e-waste through the WEEE Ireland Scheme as opposed to landfilling. That is the equivalent of the annual carbon consumption of 4,504 hectares of trees.

WEEE Ireland accounts for over two thirds of all national waste electrical and electronics collection activity on behalf of 1,189 producer members.

These free events are proudly hosted by Bord na Móna Recycling with support from WEEE Ireland.

“We’ve all had to change how we think about waste, and events like this one give us all an opportunity to recover resources for a brighter future,” said Claire Jones, Operations and Planning Supervisor for Bord na Móna Recycling.

“By using state-of-the-art technology, we’re able to sort the waste we collect to remove what can be recycled and reduce the amount that goes to landfill.”

“By minimising landfill we can help create a cleaner, more sustainable future for everyone.”