E-Waste Recycling Declines In Kildare As National Collection Hits Record High

Monday, 17 June 2024 14:10

By Martin Osborne

In Kildare alone, 1,262 tonnes of electrical waste were collected.

Kildare residents recycled an average of 5.1kg of e-waste per person in 2023, a drop from the 9.51kg average recorded the previous year, according to new figures from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland’s annual report.

The report, which covers the 20 counties WEEE Ireland operates in, revealed that approximately 18.1 million appliances were collected for recycling nationwide in 2023, exceeding all European norms.

In Kildare alone, 1,262 tonnes of electrical waste were collected, contributing to a record-breaking 41,730 tonnes of electronic and electrical waste recycled last year across Ireland.

This national increase represents the equivalent of 200 additional forty-foot containers of e-waste recycled compared to 2022.

However, the CEO of WEEE Ireland, Leo Donovan, expressed concern over Kildare's below-average recycling rates, emphasising the need to recycle more critical raw materials as Ireland's population and consumption of new appliances grow.

“Most householders in Kildare have a hidden treasure trove of broken, unused or unwanted electrical equipment in their homes,” said Donovan. “They alone hold the key to recycling them, giving them a new lease of life so we can recover the critical raw materials they contain.”

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