The European Recycling Platform (ERP ), Ireland’s only pan-European compliance scheme for electrical and waste battery recycling, has announced that it will begin operating in Westmeath in the new year.
Effective from January 2010, ERP, in conjunction with Westmeath County Council and retailers, will be solely responsible for all electrical and electronic waste collection and recycling in the county.
General manager ERP Ireland, Martin Tobin, said: “Over the past four years we have been working with local councils and communities to raise awareness of and increase e-waste recycling in Ireland and are looking forward to extending our operations to Westmeath this coming year.
“We are working closely with Westmeath County Council and retailers to ensure a smooth transfer of services and we are ready to hit the ground running in the new year.”
Hugh O’Reilly, senior executive officer of Westmeath County Council, added; “A primary objective of Westmeath County Council is to increase recycling in the county. The council is therefore looking forward to working with ERP towards increasing the quantity of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE ) collected for recycling within the county.”
The expansion of their operation into Westmeath and Leitrim next year will see ERP increase its operation by 5 per cent, giving it 28 per cent of the overall WEEE marketplace in Ireland. From 2010, ERP will be operational in 10 counties.
Since ERP began operating in Ireland in 2005, the compliance scheme has collected over 40,000 tonnes of e-waste, the equivalent in weight to four Eiffel Towers.
ERP will also be bringing their free retailer registration scheme to Westmeath, helping retailers eliminate the administrative burden they face when complying with EU Waste Management Regulations. With ERP, retailers only need to register once, free of charge, rather than pay the annual registration fee of €20 charged by the local county council. The scheme is open to all retailers whether they sell electronic goods or batteries as part of their ongoing stock or for a limited time only.
For more information retailers should visit http://www.erp-recycling.ie/retailerregistration or to register please contact [email protected]
