Galway householders are being urged to bring their electrical and electronic waste to a free collection day to help the county meet recycling targets, which have increased since the first lockdown in 2020.
The event, hosted by WEEE Ireland with support from The City Bin Co, will take place on Saturday October 15, at The City Bin Co’s recycling centre in Deerpark Industrial Estate, Oranmore, from 10am to 4pm.
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, and even watches.
Some 11.2kg of e-waste was recycled per person in Galway last year – exceeding both the 2020 collection rate of 11.1kg and the national average of 10.86kg per person.
However, the county’s e-waste target for 2022 has increased to 13kg per person, to reflect yearly increases in electrical goods consumption, accelerated by Covid-19.
“Eighty two per cent of all material that we collect is recovered for use again in manufacturing through both indigenous operators and specialist processors in Europe,” said said WEEE Ireland CEO Leo Donovan.
“Most end-of-life products contain metals and minerals in higher concentrations than primary resources. These stocks of resources are the urban mines of the future, so our recycling efforts can have a significant impact on the environment.”
