IN the five years since electrical and battery recycling began, Ireland has become one of the EU’s top electronic recycling nations.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) scheme began in 2005 and to date, Ireland has recycled 33 million appliances, with WEEE Ireland collecting enough TVs and monitors to go around the M50 14 times.
Since the scheme began, the equivalent of more than seven pieces of WEEE in Ireland have been collected for every man, woman and child in Ireland.
A WEEE Ireland spokesman last night said that Ireland’s efforts should not be downplayed.
"In five years, the weight of small appliances collected by WEEE Ireland is equal to over six times the weight of structural metal used in the construction of the Aviva Stadium. We have collected enough large household appliances and fridge freezers to fill Croke Park 41 times over," he said.
To mark reaching this achievement, WEEE Ireland held two free collection days yesterday: one in the grounds of Irish Museum of Modern Art in Kilmainham, Dublin, and one at The Mart Yard, Fermoy, in Cork.
Some of the waste collected in Dublin yesterday is to be re-used in an art installation project.
Leo Donovan, chief executive of WEEE Ireland, said "Everyone at WEEE Ireland would like to take the opportunity to say a huge thank you to the people of Ireland who have helped us to reach this milestone. In the past five years, Ireland has become one of the leading recycling nations in Europe and an example of best practice in how recycling can become a way of life and bring us towards a more sustainable future for the country."
Consumers pay a fee when they buy equipment, ranging from €2 for a small TV, €5 for a washing machine and up to €30 for a large fridge/freezer. All monies raised go towards recycling initiatives.
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This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, August 16, 2010
