Tag: e-scooters

Battery and e-waste clear-out plea as only half return for safe recycling

Only half of household batteries sold on the Irish market are making their way back for recycling each year, new data shows.

As newly-bought Christmas gifts replace old devices, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland is urging people to recycle used batteries and unwanted small electrical items, rather than storing or binning them.

Its figures show that almost half of all household battery purchases are made during the Christmas shopping period, yet recycling rates remain stubbornly low.
To support a nationwide New Year clear-out, the e-waste recycling scheme is delivering one million blue battery recycling boxes to homes this month to capture the valuable hoard of waste batteries.

They can be returned for free at participating retailers or local recycling centres.

“As space is made for new gifts, now is the ideal time to carry out a battery and e-waste clear-out,” said Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland.

“As well as providing a handy QR code that connects you to a map of hundreds of local drop off points, our blue battery boxes are a simple but powerful reminder that batteries should never go in household bins.

“Returning for recycling ensures the safe recovery and reuse of the materials they contain.”

When it comes to small electronic items, 2024 figures from WEEE Ireland show a similar trend, with 40 per cent of Ireland’s annual small electronic gift and toy purchases happening in the festive period.

But just 30 per cent of these are returned to the circular economy for recycling.

Recycling rates for electronic toys such as gaming consoles, e-scooters and battery-operated action figures are even lower, dropping to just 10 per cent, leaving millions of unused, broken or obsolete toys gathering dust in homes or discarded incorrectly in the household bin.

“Every home in Ireland can make a difference. Batteries don’t belong in the bin – they belong in recycling. When we dispose of them incorrectly, we risk fires and environmental pollution,” said Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Alan Dillon.

“This January, WEEE Ireland is delivering one million battery boxes to households. Let’s use them. Collect every old battery from toys, decorations, and devices, and return them to your local retailer or recycling centre.
“It’s free, safe, and it protects our environment. Together, we can keep dangerous chemicals out of landfill and rare materials in circulation. Let’s make 2026 about responsibility and care for each other.”

WEEE Ireland’s network of free collection points across local authority civic amenity centres and retailers is available at weeeireland.ie.

A new Light Means of Transport (LMT) lithium battery guide has also been added to the WEEE Ireland website to support consumers on the safe recycling of higher-capacity batteries such as those used in e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mobility and power packs.

Surge In Dumped Battery and Electronic Devices Sparks Urgent Fire Warning

One of Ireland’s largest waste management operators has launched a public awareness campaign following a rise in fires caused by batteries, vapes and electronics being thrown into household wheelie bins, skips and public street bins.

Items such as vapes, power banks, cordless power tools, e-bikes, and e-scooters are increasingly appearing in municipal waste streams and are now the leading cause of fires in the waste management industry.

Clean Ireland Recycling, which is leading this campaign, has experienced several fires in its collection trucks and damage at one of its depots.

The Christmas STAR (Stop Think And Recycle) campaign comes ahead of the festive and New Year period, when households typically dispose of old electronics and batteries while also bringing new ones into the home.

Managing Director of Clean Ireland Recycling, Brian Lyons said the sharp increase in batteries, vapes and electronics is creating serious safety risks.

He said the improper disposal of these items “puts lives, property, the environment and businesses at risk”.

Mr Lyons urged the public not to dispose of batteries, vapes or electronic devices in household or public bins, but to bring them to designated WEEE/battery collection points.

He said many people do not realise how easily fires can start.

“A fire can begin when a battery is compacted or pierced in a bin lorry. If the casing cracks it can short-circuit, producing intense heat and sudden flames. Inside one of our trucks it can spread in seconds,” Mr. Lyons explained.

He continued, “It only takes one vape or power bank to trigger a serious incident. We have had fires start while trucks were on the road, forcing crews to stop, isolate the fire and in conjunction with fire services, unload burning material to save the vehicle. There are far too many reports from around the country of waste transfer stations and recycling facilities experiencing fires caused by batteries and other electronics.”

Mr Lyons said preventing fires “starts with proper disposal” and that using the correct facilities helps protect homes, vehicles and recycling infrastructure.

The public can contact their local recycling centre or visit MyWaste.ie for advice on safely disposing of batteries and electronic waste.