Mayo householders urged to avail of free e-waste and battery recycling events

MAYO householders are being urged to bring their batteries, electrical and electronic waste to a set of free collection days to help the county meet national e-waste recycling targets for 2024.

The events, hosted by WEEE Ireland in partnership with Mayo County Council, kick off on Saturday, March 9, at the Civic Office Car Park, Church Street, Belmullet, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A collection will take place in Castlebar on the Pavilion Road Car Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 16.

Finally, on Saturday, March 23, a collection will take place at the Station Road Car Park, Claremorris, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturday, March 30, at Swinford Golf Club, Deerpark, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Anything with a plug, battery or cable can be recycled for free on the day, 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 even watches.

“In Mayo, and across Ireland, we are buying more electrical goods than ever - with people purchasing an average 25kg per head in 2023 compared to 16kgs just five years ago,” said WEEE Ireland CEO Leo Donovan.

“Shopping stats show a surge in spend on new electrical devices like mobile phones, computers, small kitchen appliances and white goods.

“With old items still lying around many households we want to offer the opportunity to recycle these for free.”

People in Mayo have contributed greatly to e-waste recycling every year, with 1,407 tonnes of electrical waste collected in the county in 2022, and we want to encourage that trend.

Some 10kg of e-waste was recycled per person in Mayo last year - falling just short of the national average of 10.33kg per person.

WEEE Ireland warns that the nation needs to meet a forthcoming EU target to recycle at least 15% of our annual consumption of critical raw materials from e-waste.

“82% of all material that we collect is recovered for use again in manufacturing through both indigenous operators and specialist processors in Europe,” said Mr. 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.”

These free events are in partnership with Mayo County Council.

“Recycling e-waste is incredibly beneficial for both the environment and the economy,” said Sharon Cameron, Mayo County Council.

“Together, we are diverting waste from landfill, recovering raw materials for reuse and ensuring hazardous materials are safely and responsibly disposed of.

“We look forward to working with WEEE Ireland and Mayo householders to hopefully recycle a record-breaking amount of electronic waste in 2024.”