Latest news with #LeoDonovan
Irish Independent
11 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Report finds Leitrim is country's worst performing county for recycling
Last year, an average 4.8kg of household e-waste was recycled per person in Leitrim, less than the 9.5kg national average. The figures indicate that Leitrim is the worst performing county in Ireland, according to the latest Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland annual report. The country's biggest e-waste recycling scheme is now calling for a national leap forward in "e-waste intelligence" as electrical device consumption reaches record levels - with vapes and solar panels driving a 75pc surge in sales over the last five years. A total of 93 million household electronic items were purchased nationally in 2024, putting pressure on Ireland's ability to meet EU recycling targets which are based on sales volumes, regardless of product life cycle or whether they can be reused. This is almost three times the volume sold in 2006, according to WEEE Ireland, with a reported 31 million vape and e-cigarette devices sold last year alone, and 2.5 million solar PV panels installed in the last five years. This month, the Government allocated €27 million from the Circular Economy Fund to support further progress, and WEEE Ireland is pushing for an ambitious roadmap forward. Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland said Leitrim has an engaged public and a high-performing recycling network. 'With increased investment in recycling centres, including longer opening hours, and strong leadership, we can set the benchmark for e-waste and circular economy solutions in Europe' said Mr Donovan. WEEE Ireland is taking the lead, working with manufacturers and retailers to scale up sustainable solutions. In 2024 alone, it collected 38,215 tonnes of e-waste, equating to 9.5kg per capita. ADVERTISEMENT This included large household appliances which account for a significant share of Ireland's material recovery due to their size and resource content – almost 330,000 large household appliances, over 119,000 fridge freezers and 258,000 TVs and monitors. More than 1.1 million vape devices were also recovered, despite being notoriously difficult to capture due to disposal habits, with many ending up in waste bins. WEEE Ireland says it continues to work with retailers and regulators to design more effective solutions for this new category of waste. 16.2 million small appliances - such as kettles, vacuums , tools, and toys - along with 1.9 million lighting items and 72 million AA batteries worth of portable batteries were also collected. With a 96pc recovery rate, WEEE Ireland continues to exceed EU material recovery targets and reinforce Ireland's standing as a circular economy leaders. Consumers can recycle their electronics for free at participating retailers or recycling centres. Check for these as well as its many free public recycling collection days across the country.
Irish Independent
14 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Sligo below the national average for e-waste recycling
The country's biggest e-waste recycling scheme is now calling for a national leap forward in "e-waste intelligence" as electrical device consumption reaches record levels - with vapes and solar panels driving a 75pc surge in sales over the last five years. A total of 93 million household electronic items were purchased in 2024, putting pressure on Ireland's ability to meet EU recycling targets which are based on sales volumes, regardless of product life cycle or whether they can be reused. This is almost three times the volume sold in 2006, according to WEEE Ireland, with a reported 31 million vape and e-cigarette devices sold last year alone, and 2.5 million solar PV panels installed in the last five years. 'Each one of those 93 million devices contains valuable materials like aluminium, copper, lithium, cobalt,' said Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland. 'We're using these materials far faster than they can regenerate. Global demand is set to triple by 2050 - a trajectory that cannot be sustained. 'With over 80pc of the EU's rare earths coming from China, Ireland's dependence on imports leaves us dangerously exposed. People must reduce that risk by rethinking consumption, embracing circularity, and recovering more materials here at home.' The number of consumer electronics placed on the Irish market has tripled from 31 million in 2006 to 93 million in 2024. The most rapid growth has come since 2019 when 53 million units were sold. Vaping devices alone accounted for a third of all units sold last year. Even excluding vapes and solar panels, consumption is still climbing - a challenge given that EU recycling targets are based on a percentage of sales and don't take account of long product lifecycles or reusability. WEEE Ireland says this approach is fundamentally flawed. 'We are penalised for selling long-life items like solar PV panels,' said Donovan. 'Over 2.5 million panels have entered the market in the last five years, but with warranties of 15 to 20 years, they won't reach recycling centres for at least another decade. Yet they still count toward our annual recycling target. That's not circular thinking.' Further distorting the picture is the untracked volume of online purchases from many overseas sellers, a gap recently acknowledged by the European Commission. New WEEE Ireland research also shows the proportion of households hoarding unused devices rose from 22pc in 2023 to 29pc in 2025, highlighting a massive untapped opportunity for reuse and repair. 'We need to move beyond recycling alone. Extending the life of products through repair and reuse must become the norm,' Donovan urged. Despite these challenges, WEEE Ireland is taking the lead, working with manufacturers and retailers to scale up sustainable solutions. In 2024 alone, it collected 38,215 tonnes of e-waste, equating to 9.5kg per capita. This included large household appliances which account for a significant share of Ireland's material recovery due to their size and resource content – almost 330,000 large household appliances, over 119,000 fridge freezers and 258,000 TVs and monitors. More than 1.1 million vape devices were also recovered, despite being notoriously difficult to capture due to disposal habits, with many ending up in waste bins. WEEE Ireland says it continues to work with retailers and regulators to design more effective solutions for this new category of waste. 16.2 million small appliances - such as kettles, vacuums , tools, and toys - along with 1.9 million lighting items and 72 million AA batteries worth of portable batteries were also collected. With a 96pc recovery rate, WEEE Ireland continues to exceed EU material recovery targets and reinforce Ireland's standing as a circular economy leaders. This month, the Government allocated €27 million from the Circular Economy Fund to support further progress, and WEEE Ireland is pushing for an ambitious roadmap forward. 'Sligo has an engaged public and a high-performing recycling network,' said Donovan. 'With increased investment in recycling centres, including longer opening hours, and strong leadership, we can set the benchmark for e-waste and circular economy solutions in Europe.' Consumers can recycle their electronics for free at participating retailers or recycling centres. Check for these as well as its many free public recycling collection days across the country.
RTÉ News
18 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Vapes made up 33% of electrical devices sold in 2024, report finds
The public has been urged to recycle vapes and e-cigarettes as a report showed they made up one-third of all electrical devices sold in Ireland last year. The report, by Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Ireland (WEEE Ireland), found that around 1.1m vapes were recycled in 2024 but around 31 million were sold across the country. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, CEO of WEEE Ireland Leo Donovan said: "We would really encourage, particularly the young people, to look at bringing those back to our battery recycling boxes, back to the original retailer that they bought the vape from." He asked people not to dispose of them in refuse bins. Mr Donovan added vapes can be returned for free and are accepted in the WEEE Ireland blue battery boxes. Mr Donovan said vapes are taken apart when recycled and the batteries and electrical components are separated. "Can it be repaired? Can it be reused after you've finished using it, and then, if not, send it to one of the authorised recycling points, like your electrical retailer and the local authority sites," he said. The report shows that around 93 million household electronic items were purchased last year, which was almost three times higher than in 2006. It also found that the proportion of households "hoarding unused devices" rose from 22% in 2023 to 29% this year. WEEE Ireland also said it collected 16.2 million small appliances and 1.9 million lighting products and 72 million AA batteries in 2024.
BreakingNews.ie
20 hours ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Vapes and solar panels see electrical device sales surge
Vapes and solar panels have driven a 75 per cent surge in electrical device sales over the last five years, according to an e-waste recycling body. A total of 93 million household electronic items were purchased in 2024 – almost three times the volume sold in 2006, according to Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland. Advertisement Launching its 2024 annual report on Monday, WEEE said electronic items sold per year increased by 75 per cent between 2019 and 2024. Vaping devices alone accounted for a third of all units sold last year, an estimated 31 million units, while 2.5 million solar PV panels have been installed in the last five years. The country's biggest e-waste recycling scheme is calling for Ireland's 'e-waste intelligence' to develop as consumption reaches record levels, putting pressure on EU recycling targets. 'Each one of those 93 million devices contains valuable materials like aluminium, copper, lithium, cobalt,' said WEEE Ireland chief executive Leo Donovan. Advertisement WEEE Ireland collected 38,215 tonnes of e-waste last year (Conor McCabe Photography/PA) 'We're using these materials far faster than they can regenerate. Global demand is set to triple by 2050 – a trajectory that cannot be sustained. 'With over 80 per cent of the EU's rare earths coming from China, Ireland's dependence on imports leaves us dangerously exposed. We must reduce that risk by rethinking consumption, embracing circularity, and recovering more materials here at home.' Excluding vapes, consumption of electronics is still climbing – a challenge given that EU recycling targets are based on sales volumes, regardless of product life cycle or whether they can be reused. 'We are penalised for selling long-life items like solar PV panels,' said Mr Donovan. Advertisement 'Over 2.5 million panels have entered the market in the last five years, but with warranties of 15 to 20 years, they won't reach recycling centres for at least another decade. 'Yet they still count toward our annual recycling target. That's not circular thinking.' Research from WEEE Ireland also shows the proportion of households hoarding unused devices rose from 22 per cent in 2023 to 29 per cent in 2025, highlighting a massive untapped opportunity for reuse and repair. 'We need to move beyond recycling alone. Extending the life of products through repair and reuse must become the norm,' Mr Donovan said. Advertisement In 2024, WEEE Ireland collected 38,215 tonnes of e-waste. WEEE Ireland collected almost 330,000 large household appliances in 2024 (Conor McCabe Photography/PA) This included large household appliances which account for a significant share of Ireland's material recovery due to their size and resource content – almost 330,000 large household appliances, more than 119,000 fridge freezers, and 258,000 TVs and monitors. More than 1.1 million vape devices were also recovered, despite being notoriously difficult to capture due to disposal habits, with many ending up in waste bins. WEEE Ireland said it continues to work with retailers and regulators to design more effective solutions for this new category of waste. Advertisement This month, the Government allocated €27 million from the Circular Economy Fund to support further progress. 'Ireland has an engaged public and a high-performing recycling network,' said Mr Donovan. 'With increased investment in recycling centres, including longer opening hours, and strong leadership, we can set the benchmark for e-waste and circular economy solutions in Europe.'
