News: WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) collection Days in Kildare!

WEEE Ireland have organised a free collection day in three areas on Saturday 16th of April 2011:

Maynooth Tescos carpark

Celbridge Tescos carpark

Barnhall Rugby Club

All three collections from 10am to 4 pm

 

WEEE is any household item that has a plug or a battery and is at the end of its useful life.

In the house, old and broken fridges and washing machines are examples but don't forget the little guys! Remote controls, batteries, electric toothbrushes and even your old bicycle lamps can also be recycled!

Is it true that when I buy a new TV, the shop has to take back my old one free of charge?

 

Yes, but this is not just for TVs, it works for any electrical product from stereos to computers. But be warned, it is done on a 'like for like basis' so don't expect the shop to recycle your old fridge when you're only buying an electric toothbrush! Instead, bring this fridge to your local recycling centre.

Remember the 15 day rule! You have 15 days to bring back your WEEE to the shop after buying a new item. Bring your receipt as proof of purchase.

 

I have a lot of old batteries in my house, how do I go about getting them recycled?

You can return waste batteries to your local shop so long as it sells the same type of battery (E.g. your local newsagents will take any portable batteries like AA but not car batteries. Your local garage will take car batteries but not portable batteries) Unlike WEEE, with batteries you don't have to purchase anything in the shop to do this; you can just drop them in the WEEE Ireland battery boxes in the store.

Just be careful when bringing back portable batteries to bring back less than 5kgs at any one time, and don't return any leaking batteries because the chemicals in leaky batteries can be dangerous to your health and the shopkeepers. You can also return your batteries to recycling centres and other collection points free of charge. 

Why am I being charged extra when I buy electrical goods? Is this a scam?

No, it's not a scam. Some electrical goods show a visible Producer Recycling Fund (PRF) contribution on the receipt indicating the environmental management cost for recycling WEEE. Recycling old electrical items can be expensive and the PRF helps fund this process and ensures that these items are managed in an environmentally sound manner and are recycled at the end of their lives. 

Is there anything I have to do to prepare my WEEE for recycling?

Yes, in the case of fridges or freezers you must take out all the food and have them defrosted so that they don't make a mess and attract unwanted rodents during transport and recycling. With computers and other communication devices, don't forget to securely wipe the drives before recycling. With everything else, just make sure they are removed from their packaging, are as clean as possible and don't pose a health and safety risk to staff at the recycling centres.

 

What about people who won't recycle their WEEE because they've heard it can be expensive and don't have much free time?

Remind these people that recycling WEEE is Free. What's more, it's very easy to do! All you need to do is remember to return your old items when buying new ones or hold on to them until there's a lot to be recycled and then take a short trip to your local recycling centre where you can recycle the goods free of charge. Also keep an eye out for WEEE Irelands special recycling events in your area. Each one of us has a part to play in making sure our planet doesn't get destroyed unnecessarily so always remember to recycle WEEE and remind others to do it too!

(Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)(Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)(Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)

Saturday 26th of March

Black & Decker factory carpark

10-4pm

Date	Location	Time
Sat 16th April	Maynooth, Tesco Carpark	10-4pm
Sat 16th April	Celbridge, Tesco Carpark	10-4pm
Sat 16th April	Barnhall Rugby Club, Leixlip	10-4pm