WEE Ireland data reveals how is Cork lagging behind when comes to recycling electrical waste

Cork

Scheme hopes to reverse this trend through series of free collection points across Cork

Cork householders are being urged to bring their electrical and electronic waste to upcoming free collection days, hosted by WEEE Ireland in partnership with Cork County Council. Photo: Conor McCabe Photography.

THE amount of electrical waste generated by Irish households has risen dramatically over the past five years – with statistics showing a major increase in the purchase of goods during the pandemic.

Yet, despite a corresponding ‘lockdown spring clean’ Cork households are still falling well short of pre-Covid levels of electronic waste recycling.

That's according to WEEE Ireland, the not-for-profit organisation established to help comply with EU waste generation and recycling obligations, which is holding a series of collection points across Cork during June allowing people to dispose of their unwanted items free of charge.

Hosted in partnership with Cork County Council, these will kick-off next Saturday (June 3) at the Tesco car-park in Mitchelstown from 10am – 4pm, with another temporary collection point on Saturday June 17 at the Cork Marts Complex near Fermoy on Saturday June, 17.

Other collection points will be held at the Five Foot Way car-park in Cobh and the Bring Centre in Dunmanway on Saturday, June 24.

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, batteries (including farm fence batteries) and watches.

WEEE Ireland CEO Leo Donovan said the annual tonnage of electrical goods purchased in Cork and across Ireland rose from 15kg in 2016 to 23kg per head last year, with data showing a particular surge in spending on devices including mobile phones, computers, kitchen appliance and white goods during the Covid pandemic.

However, while a surge in lockdown spring cleaning did see 5,880 tonnes of electrical waste, equivalent to 10.83kg per person, collected in Cork in 2021 under the WEEE scheme, this still fell far short of the 2020 collection rate of 11.12kg and the national rate of 10.86kg head of population.

Mr Donovan pointed out that the country's e-waste target for this year has risen to 14kg per person, reflecting the yearly increase in the purchase of electrical goods, accelerated by Covid.

"With old items still lying around many households we want to offer the opportunity to recycle these for free," said Mr Donovan.

Mr Donovan said that in 2021 the equivalent of 231,719 tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to the annual carbon consumption of 4,624 hectares of trees was avoided be recycling through WEEE as opposed to landfilling.

"More than 80% of all the material that we collect is recovered for use again in manufacturing, with most end-of life products containing metals and minerals in higher concentrations than their primary sources," said Mr Donovan.

"These stocks of resources are the ‘urban mines’ of the future, so our recycling efforts can have a significant impact on the environment," he added.

Sentiments also expressed by senior Cork County Council water operations engineer Don O’Sullivan, who urged people to take advantage of the free WEEE collection points.

""Recycling e-waste is incredibly beneficial for both the environment and the economy. Together, we are diverting waste from landfill, recovering raw materials for re-use and ensuring hazardous materials are safely and responsibly disposed of," said Mr O’Sullivan.

"We look forward to working with WEEE Ireland and Cork householders to hopefully recycle a record-breaking amount of electronic waste in 2023," he added.

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