Ireland top for recycling electrical goods

IRELAND is topping electrical goods recycling leagues, with Irish people on average recycling twice as much as that set as its target by the European Union according to the European Recycling Platform.

Domestic recycling — toasters, kettles and microwaves — are the items most commonly recycled in this country. More of these items are recycled per tonne than computers, televisions or refrigerators.

The European Recycling Platform, which was set up by Braun, Electrolux, Hewlett-Packard and Sony, said that Irish electrical companies collect almost 8kg of electrical waste per person annually. This is the equivalent of four kettles for every man, woman and child living in Ireland.

According to their research, Fingal County Council, one of the three Dublin local authorities, has the best electrical recycling record in the country, recycling 1,584 tonnes of electrics between August 2005 and April 2007.

The top county for TV recycling per head of capita is Louth, recycling 227 tonnes up to April 2007. Fingal and Clare are in second and third place.

In the area of information technology recycling, the number one county is Clare, followed by Fingal and Limerick.

Irish people have been bound to recycle electrical equipment following the introduction of the European Union’s Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive. This obliges electrical suppliers to take back and recycle electronic waste so it doesn’t enter landfill.

In a separate development, European Recycling Platform has announced it will be sponsoring a recycling section in the BT Young Scientist and Technology Awards. The group’s general manager in Ireland, John Hayes, said it is “hoping to build on the great recycling momentum that is happening in Ireland at present”.

“The award, for the best project that encourages and improves recycling in Ireland, is aimed at urging our young people to recycle and to understand the positive impact their effort has on our environment,” Mr Hayes said.

The winner of the recycling award can be from any of the Young Scientist categories — Chemical, Physical & Mathematical, Biological & Ecological, Technology, or Social & Behavioural Science — and be of any age group, out of the 500 projects selected for entry.

Next year’s competition will take place from January 9-12 at the RDS in Dublin.

Recycling: who does the most

* Leinster recycles more per capita than Munster.

* Louth recycles the most TVs per capita, with Fingal and Clare coming in second and third respectively.

* Clare recycles a third more IT products than any other catchment area, followed by Fingal and then Limerick.

* Fingal also recycles more domestic appliances per person than any other area, with Louth recycling the second-most and Kerry the third.

* Irish people recycle more domestic appliances per tonne — their toasters, kettles and microwaves — than any other category, including computers, televisions and refrigerators.